Becoming Someone Else, Somewhere Else
by Lizzy De Bellezza
Summary: Marilyn Horsefeather, a sixth-year Slytherin, does not belong in Slytherin house at all. With a twist of fate, she is transported to a new time where the Marauders, especially the easy-on-the-eyes Sirius Black, give her a run for her money as she begins her new identity and new life at Hogwarts. However, not everything goes smoothly, as time travel comes with its own consequences.
1. Chapter 1

My robes whipped behind me as I ran with my broom in hand. The lawn heading up to Hogwarts was still dewy from the morning and my toes began to go numb with the cold of the water soaking through my shoes. I could hear their footsteps and vulgar remarks getting closer behind me, and I begged my legs to pump faster up toward the castle, as if being inside would save me from the torment of Draco Malfoy and the other Slytherin boys. I was a Slytherin myself, harboring intelligence and ambition among my shy exterior, but the crest I wore upon my robes shamed me. Although Slytherin is a very noble house, and many a great witch and wizard made up its rich heritage and tradition, I could not get past the filth and prejudice that lied within the dungeon of Hogwarts in that common room those five years I spent reading in the corner.

I made it a talent to not be noticed as I sat quietly beneath the green and silver tapestry on the far wall of the common room. I hid behind a different book each afternoon, peering over the top to spy on whoever came in and sat on the couches, complaining about the Gryffindors, or plotting their next bout of mischief. Most of the time I went unseen, and I regretted hearing some of the things I heard as I was ever invisible.

"Marilyn came out on the Quidditch pitch today, that insolent troll. She's no better on a broom than she is on her feet," said Marcus Flint, captain of the Slytherin team, and king of the common room.

"Honestly, can she even get off the ground with that horrible excuse for a broom she's got?" Adrian Pucey said, scoffing as he plopped down on one of the chairs by the fireplace.

"You mean the horrible excuse for a brain she's got," Graham Montague chimed in. All three of them snorted as they propped their feet up on the table. I could feel my face getting hot.

"Pucey," Marcus Flint said, "aren't you in potions class with her?"

Adrian Pucey gave a chuckle. "Yeah, and you should have seen it! She was nearly done brewing her antidote when her entire cauldron blew up! It was a bloody mess!" My eyes started to tear as I noticed I still had goo in my hair from that mishap in class. I had no idea what had happened to make such an explosion. "Not to mention, that extra bit of lacewings flies and unicorn horn I chucked in while she wasn't looking really made that potion 'pop,' if you know what I mean!" They all started laughing uncontrollably.

I slipped my hand into my robes and slowly took out my wand. I peeked out from my book, _Quidditch through the Ages_, and flicked my wrist as I silently muttered, "Slugulus Eructo." Immediately, Adrian Pucey was heaving on the floor as big, greasy slugs slipped out of his crooked mouth. Marcus and Graham whipped around just as I was headed up the staircase to the girls' dormitories.

"You filthy dung beetle!" Marcus yelled as he jumped over the back of the couch and ran up the stairs after me, Graham right on his heels. I reached the top of the stairs and without even looking over my shoulder, I flicked my wrist again. "Glisseo." The stairs disappeared and the boys shrieked as the plummeted back down into the common room. I wiped a tear from my face as I shut the door behind me.

I reached the castle just as my knees gave out. It was a Saturday morning, and nobody was about the castle except for me and my three pursuers hot on my heels. I begged my legs to carry me just a little bit farther, but to no avail. Before I knew it, I was being violently picked up off the floor and shoved forward.

"Hello, Horseface," said Draco, "fancy meeting you here!" His bony fingers dug into my flesh as he ushered me down the empty corridor.

"Fancy meeting you here too, Draco," I said calmly, trying hard not to sound shaken. "I'm surprised you're not with daddy, trying your damnedest to persuade him you're a worthy son." Draco's grip tightened. "Where is daddy dearest anyway, Draco? Shopping for a new family?" I saw his eyes burn red. It was no secret that Lucius Malfoy was unfaithful to his wife, and had been previously spotted with a tall, red-haired woman with a pointed nose. Definitely not Narcissa Malfoy.

"You shut up about my father!" He roared as he practically snorted fire. I shut my mouth, complete now that I had struck a weak spot. I smirked until I saw the broom closet toward the end of the corridor. "I say we show this ungrateful wench a lesson, boys." They shoved me into the closet and I heard Draco whisper 'Colloportus' after shutting the door, sealing me inside with the tortuous brutes.

"You wait until Professor Snape hears about this, Malfoy. He'll have you hanging by your toes in his office," I said, my bottom lip quivering. Draco laughed.

"Snape! He doesn't give a damn about you, Horseface. Nobody in this bloody castle does," Draco said as he whipped his wand out of his robes. At first, I had no idea what was going on. After Draco had stunned me, I only felt slashes over my body, and I could feel blood trickling into my eyes. Then I heard my broom snap in half. My lip started to swell as footsteps were approaching.

"Draco, let's get out of here. I think that's McGonagall!" Goyle cried, as he whispered an incantation and a blanket of invisibility fell over them. Draco waved his wand and the door unlocked. He gave me one last kick as they exited the torture chamber of a broom closet. I couldn't move a single muscle, my body felt like a rock, no doubt the body-bind curse. I tasted salt as tears trickled down my cheek and into my mouth. 'I hate this place,' I thought to myself. I wish I could have been able to close my eyes, escape to a world inside my head behind my eyelids, instead of having to stare blankly at the dusty, cobwebbed corner of the closet. The footsteps reached the crack in the closet door and it flew open, shedding light on my dirty, tear-stricken face.

"Oh, heavens!" I heard Professor McGonagall shriek as she knelt down beside me. "Rennervate," she said softly. I blinked my eyes, but found it hard to make myself sit up. I gave a small groan.

"I'm sorry, Professor," I said, not knowing what else to say. It came to me later that I probably should have told her 'thank you.' She pushed my hair out of my bloody face.

"My dear, what happened to you, Horsefeather?" She said sounding very concerned. I always admired this woman. She had such a fierce and strong personality, but she was still very gentle and kind.

I decided to lie. "It was Peeves." That was all I could come up with. After not hearing McGonagall say anything, I felt that she knew I was lying, but I didn't try to recant my story. She sighed as she helped me pick myself up off the ground. I could tell as I stood up that I had been badly bruised, especially my sides, and I'm sure my face did not look as pretty as it had before.

"Let's get you to the hospital wing," She said as she put her arm around me. We were halfway there when an enormous ruckus echoed through the corridor. There were screams coming from a few staircases up. A third-year Hufflepuff came running toward us.

"Professor! You've got to come help. Peeves has got Leanne hanging from a chandelier!" McGonagall looked torn. She knew, however, that a student falling from a chandelier would make for a much worse visit to the hospital win than in my case, just a bloody face and bruised ego.

"Anthony, I'd like you to accompany Miss Horsefeather to the hospital wing. I will take care of Peeves," She said releasing me and heading up the stairs toward the screams. The Hufflepuff student looked anxious. I could tell he'd rather be witnessing the excitement than ushering a bloodied-up Slytherin to the hospital wing.

"You know what? I can take care of myself. I don't need to be 'accompanied,'" I said in quite a snide tone. After all, I was a Slytherin, and who would expect anything less? Plus, I knew the snottier I sounded, the less likely this Hufflepuff was to walk me down to the other end of the castle. He just stared at me. "Well?" I said, making a shooing gesture. He turned and ran back up the stairs to follow McGonagall. I really had no intention of visiting the hospital wing.

It was still early on that Saturday morning, and as I passed the Great Hall, many students were clumped together at their tables, hovering over issues of the Daily Prophet and stuffing as many spoonfuls of egg in their mouths as possible. I had no appetite whatsoever, and even if I had, I would not subject myself to the stares that would follow me through the Hall as I sat down at the Slytherin table. I also spotted Draco Malfoy sitting at the far end, and I'd be damned if I set foot within one hundred feet of that daft scoundrel. I needed to go somewhere that was my own, where nobody would ever find me, where I could just forget.

I hobbled up the staircases as they shifted. I did not have any clue where my feet were taking me, as I climbed farther and farther away from the Slytherin dungeons. I reached the seventh floor when my calves started to burn from ascending so many stairs. I turned to the left as an interesting tapestry caught my eye. It was very old, and depicted a whimsical scene of trolls in tu-tus. Though it made a small smile crease my cheeks, my thoughts still lingered on one thing. 'I want to be somewhere else. I want to be _someone_ else.' My vision became blurred as warm tears rose in my eyes, but then I heard a sound behind me. It was as if something was conjuring itself, like vines climbing up a wall. I turned around and saw a small door, no different than the door of the broom closet down on the first floor, but something jerked at my navel to open it, like there was so much more to this door than could be seen. I opened it slowly and was startled by the size of the room it opened into. I looked around cautiously to be sure nobody would follow me in. Could this be the place I had looked for? The place where nobody would find me?

Inside the room, there was a huge wall that was lined with all sorts of books. There was also a king sized four poster bed with a silk canopy and white Egyptian linens, a mahogany piano with dazzling pearl keys, and a wardrobe made of polished oak that stood in the corner of the room. The wardrobe peaked my curiosity, but upon opening its wide doors, I was surprised to find a small bird fly out of it and flutter around the large room. Besides that, the wardrobe was completely empty. The bird flew over to the table beside the bed and started singing as it hopped around on top of a leather bound book. I picked up the book and ran my fingertips across the gold writing on its front. '_Tell me your story and I will give you a new one_.' I placed to book on the bed and gave it sideways glance. "Not yet," I whispered and headed toward the enormous bookshelf. I hadn't known why the book had made me so nervous, but it took me until late that night to pick it up again, after I had powered through books about Quidditch, Xylomancy, and Animagi. I had always wanted to be an Animagus.

I took the book in my hands once more, fingering the gold letters that glittered on the front cover. "Alright. I'll tell you my story," I said, reaching for the quill on the desk that the small bird was sitting next to. It cooed at me as I dipped it in the ink. I turned to the first page of the book and began to write down the life and times of Marilyn Horsefeather.


	2. Chapter 2

The quill scratched over the gold-leafed pages of the leather book as I wrote the unabridged version of my life. I started at the beginning.

_My name is Marilyn Horsefeather and I was born in a small town outside of London. I never met my parents. I was nothing more to them than a hindrance of their plans. Three days after I was born, they dropped me off at my Grandmother's house and never came back. The last I saw of them was in the Daily Prophet. They were strong supporters of You-Know-Who and were arrested after using the Imperius curse on many workers of the ministry. They were also charged with the murder of fifty muggles on the Underground after blowing up a train. Shortly after they were arrested, You-Know-Who fell from power, and my parents were left to rot in Azkaban. Good riddance, I say. They were never really my parents. I hate them, wherever they are._

_I received my letter from Hogwarts when I was eleven, just like everyone else. I had already learned a few tricks from my grandmother. She was one of the greatest witches I've ever known. She was a strong woman with a gentle heart, and the only family I had. She died my third year at Hogwarts. I still miss her very much. _

_ I feel as though the Sorting Hat didn't bother to take the time to get to know me at all. As soon as he heard the name "Horsefeather!" being called out by McGonagall, he knew exactly where to put me. The apple never really falls far from the tree. But I knew I hadn't belonged in Slytherin. I wasn't like the girls I shared a dormitory with. I hadn't wanted to gossip or sneak around like they wanted to do every night. I just wanted to read my books and do my homework. I was disgusted with some of the things they would say. When quidditch came around, I stole a broom from a shed out by the pitch (one of the only things I did that seemed like a Slytherin thing to do) and I tried out for the team. I didn't make it, of course. The Slytherins didn't like me, and they sure weren't going to include me in one of the best things the school had to offer. Regardless, up until my fourth year, I tried out for the team each term, and got rejected as soon as I mounted my (stolen) broom._

_ Now it's my sixth year, and I still haven't convinced anybody, or myself, that I'm a Slytherin, and every day, they remind me of it. They chase me down the halls, throw food at me during meal times, hide my robes in the mornings so that I'm late for class, and even jinx me as I walk down the halls. I don't know what to do. I have nobody to turn to. I have no friends, no family worth mentioning, and I'm not entirely sure if there's anyone who really cares about my situation. Dumbledore is always so busy. There's no reason in me coming to him with my problems when he's got the weight of the world sitting on his shoulders. So I bear through it._

A tear fell onto the page as I dipped my quill in the ink. It was already running low.

_I don't know how and if this will ever turn out better for me. I wish I wasn't a Slytherin. I wish I could start over completely._

I signed my name at the bottom, much more sloppily than I would any other normal document. "There's my story," I said with a sigh. Outside, the moon was bright and yellow as it sat above a wispy cloud hovering in the midnight blue sky. The small bird on the table had its head tucked underneath its wing, breathing slowly. "I'm a bit sleepy myself," I said. As soon as my head hit the soft pillows nestled at the top of the bed, I drifted into dreamless sleep.

The next morning, the sunshine peered into the room through the open windows. The air had smelled different from the night before, and it was much chillier this morning than it was before I had fallen asleep. As I lifted my head, I noticed that my skin was completely bear, and I was lying naked in the king sized bed. I scrambled for the sheet to cover up my body, but then realized that I was alone. I also no longer felt the pain in my body that I had felt the night before. I inspected myself thoroughly and found no bruises. I stepped out of the bed and walked toward a mirror next to the wardrobe and saw that my face was no longer dirty or bloody. My skin looked flawless. But where had my clothes gone? I wrapped my arms around my chest to keep from being so chilly when I heard the small bird singing. She was over by the window, and she flew on top of the wardrobe. She looked straight into my eyes and cocked her head, then started pecking at the wardrobe doors.

"There's nothing in there, you silly bird," I said, wanting to stroke its feathers. It then flew off and landed on my shoulder, still singing, and then pecked me admirably. "Okay, okay," I said, reaching for the handle to the wardrobe. As I opened it, I noticed four sets of robes, each one bearing the crest of one of the houses of Hogwarts. I was reaching for the Slytherin robes when I jerked my hand back. 'Let's just see what happens,' I thought, and I grabbed the robes that were blazoned with the Gryffindor crest. I dressed with the Gryffindor robes and was surprised to find how dashing I looked in the red and gold tie. It was a much better look for me. 'I could get used to this.' I closed the wardrobe door and walked over to look into the mirror again. My skin was glowing and my black hair rippled down my back in tresses. These robes made me look beautiful. I threw my shoulders back and admired my new look. 'If only I were a Gryffindor,' I thought to myself. The bird was now back on top of the wardrobe and sang even more loudly, as if this was the most delightful thing she'd ever witnessed. "You like this too? Well, I can't pretend forever. I better put on those Slytherin robes and be off." I opened the door to the wardrobe and found that it was completely empty again. I gasped. I was wearing Gryffindor robes and now I had no other clothes to put on. How was I going to walk about the castle looking like this? People would notice, and I would never hear the end of it.

I shook my head. As if it would be much different than any of the other torment I would endure in the weeks to come. It was still early on a Sunday morning. If I could sneak down to the dungeons, maybe nobody would see me. Then I could just change into my own robes and nobody would have to know. That was my plan. Before I left, I stuffed nearly ten books into a shoulder bag I had found hanging on the wall, all of them about Quidditch and transfiguration. I took one last sweeping glance around the room, silently thanking it for the solitude it had given me, and snuck out into the seventh floor corridor.

The castle looked much lighter than I had noticed in months. I was halfway down the first flight of stairs when I heard people running behind me. I kept my head down low and hoped they wouldn't notice me.

"Hurry up! We're gonna be late!" One of them said as they barreled down the corridor.

"We still have to go up to get our brooms!" The other said, quite frantically.

"That early morning detention really screwed up our plans for early morning practice!" The first one said as I heard them reach the stairs. They were almost past me, maybe they wouldn't notice. Next thing I knew, I was crashing to the floor with two boys falling on top of me. So much for not being seen. I was so invisible they ran me over.

"Oh bloody hell! Are you alright?" One of them said as he rolled off of me and started looking for his glasses that flew off his face.

"Very sorry about that! We weren't paying any attention!" The other one said as he brushed himself off and stood up. He held his hand out for me to grab and he helped me stand up. He looked at my chest and his eyes rested on the Gryffindor crest stitched on my robes. His gaze then traveled back up to my face. "Interesting," he said, staring at me as I looked away, hoping I could make an escape. I needed to keep my cool.

I cleared my throat and looked at him. "What's so interesting?" I said, throwing back my shoulders. He gave a nervous chuckle.

"It's just that you're wearing Gryffindor robes," he said as he rubbed his neck, "and I'm pretty sure I would have noticed you before." He gave me a subtle wink and I felt my face blush. No boy had ever talked to me like that, or winked at me. It was exhilarating. He captured my attention as he held my gaze for what seemed like hours. He was very handsome and it was difficult to break my stare from his. His presence was so captivating. The other boy clapped him on the back as he stood up after finding his glasses. He looked at my robes as well.

"Potter?" I said, cocking my head to the side. He certainly looked like Harry Potter, but something was different about him. Not that I had had many close encounters with him, but his face was plastered on enough newspapers and flyers that I would not mistake it. Harry Potter had green eyes, and this boy's eyes were brown. I quickly realized my mistake. "I'm sorry, you just look so familiar," I said, turning my head away from them again.

"No, my name is James Potter. But I can't say that I know your name. Have we met?" My heart started pounding. These damn robes were already causing all sorts of problems. I decided to quickly change the subject.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" I said quickly, turning around and heading down the next flight of stairs. I walked at a fast pace, hoping I could shake them off of me before I reached to stairs that led to the dungeons.

"Wait!" One of them called after me. They ran down to catch up with me. "You're going to the common room, right? We'll walk with you there!" The ridiculously handsome boy said as he walked beside me. I stared straight ahead, trying not to get sucked into his gaze a second time.

"Padfoot, we've got to get our brooms and get onto the pitch!" James said anxiously.

"Prongs, we're already running late. Plus, what kind of gentlemen would we be if we didn't accompany this young lady back to the common room?" He started to smile. "I'm Sirius, by the way," he said smirking. I gave him a sideways glance as I adjusted the shoulder strap of my bag. He looked at me as if he were expecting a reply.

"Marilyn," I said rather shortly. The last thing I wanted to do was get into a cozy conversation with a Gryffindor. My mind was sprinting toward an idea to get out of them walking me to Gryffindor tower. As we turned the corner, Professor Dumbledore nearly bulldozed us, a frantic look in his eyes.

"Oh, excuse me, gentlemen. I've just been looking for someone," he said, his eyes skimming over the tops of our heads. "You haven't seen a girl with long black hair wandering about the castle, have you?" His stare was very far off.

"We found this one here, sir," Sirius said, nudging my shoulder. Dumbledore looked down at me as though he had just noticed I was there. He looked younger than I remembered him.

"My goodness, there she is. Thank you boys! I think Miss Horsefeather and myself will talk in my office." Dumbledore locked his arm with mine and led me down to his office. I looked back to see the boys running down the opposite hallway toward, I presumed, Gryffindor tower.


	3. Chapter 3

Dumbledore did not say a word until we reached his office. He stood in front of the gargoyle and said "Pixie Puffs!" and the gargoyle moved aside to reveal a swirling staircase. "After you," he said, ushering me up the stairs and into his office. Out of all my years at Hogwarts, this was the very first time I had ever stepped foot into the Headmaster's office. My mouth was agape as I looked around at the floating orbs and intricate silvery devices. There was also a large phoenix perched behind the desk, his head under his wing as he napped. "Marilyn, please sit," Dumbledore said calmly as he walked over to his desk and picked up a gold tin. "Treacle fudge?" He asked as he popped some into his mouth. I shook my head, declining. He sat down across from me.

"I'm sorry about these robes, Dumbledore. I had no other clothes, and I was just on my way to the dungeons to change," I said quickly, pleading with him as if I were really in some sort of trouble for wearing the wrong crest. He held up his hand to silence me.

"My dear, we have far more important things to discuss other than your robes." I sunk down into my seat. I had no idea what was going on. "You spent the night in the Room of Requirement last night, correct?" My breath quickened and my palms got sweaty. This man always knew everything. I decided not to speak. I wanted to hear everything that was being accused of me before I said anything incriminating. Dumbledore chuckled. "You're not in any trouble. In fact, I wish to congratulate you on finding it. It's desperately tricky to come across." I still did not feel relaxed and I fidgeted with the seams of my garments. He leaned forward on his elbows. "I received a note this morning on my door," he said as he looked at me with intrigue in his eyes.

"A note, sir?" I said quietly. He nodded.

"I expect a little bird put it there." I was not sure if he meant that in a literal or figurative way. At this point, it could have been either. He peered at me from the top of his half-moon glasses. "It told me that I was to be expecting a student by the name of Marilyn Horsefeather, and behold, here you are." He sat back in his chair and laced his fingers together.

"I'm sorry, sir," I said quite meekly, "but I don't quite understand what you mean."

Dumbledore stood up and began to pace slowly around the room, fingering small objects here and there. "Miss Horsefeather, the Room of Requirement is a rather remarkable treasure hidden inside this castle. I always knew it had extraordinary power, but last night after you entered, it not only transformed the place inside its walls, but it transformed _time_." He turned around and looked at me, but my face was still showing how clueless I was. "You are no longer in your own time, Marilyn. You are in the past," he said, then gave a quizzical look. "Well, it's the present now, to me, and it is now your present also." My jaw dropped.

"Sir, if this is a joke," Dumbledore held up his hand to silence me.

"I know this sounds incredible, but it definitely is not a joke." He walked back to his desk and sat down. My mind was running wild. Dumbledore looked at me from behind his desk, patiently waiting for me to speak.

"So, what do I do now?" I said, trying to keep my hands from shaking.

"The Room of Requirement," Dumbledore continued, "has given you an astounding chance to start over completely, to make different choices. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes sir, but—"

"And it appears to me that you've already made your first choice," he said admirably, gesturing to the crest on my robes.

"Sir, but the Sorting Hat—"

"It is not the Sorting Hat that tells us who we are. Who we are is reflected by the choices we make." I looked down at the lion that emblazoned my chest. It was fierce upon the red and gold background, symbolizing courage. "Now, even though I do not doubt that you possess some commendable traits of a Slytherin, I believe that deep down, your bravery triumphs. Otherwise, I do not believe you would be here." I began to blush again as I had done earlier with Sirius. I had always envied those in Gryffindor, and now that I was one, pride welled up inside me that I nearly could not contain. "On to more trivial matters then," he said as he pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment. Just then, the door opened to reveal a flustered Professor McGonagall.

"You wished to see me Headmaster? You said it was urgent," She said as she adjusted her pointed hat so that it stood perfectly erect on her head.

"Yes, Minerva. This young lady is Marilyn Horsefeather. She is new to the Gryffindor house," Dumbledore said, gesturing me to stand up and greet her.

"Very nice to meet you Marilyn," she said, not cracking a smile.

"Miss Horsefeather, I regret to say, does not have any belongings. I am giving her permission to visit Hogsmeade this morning to purchase whatever she may need." My eyes widened. He walked over to me and dropped a small velvet bag into my hand as coins inside jingled together. He lowered his voice in order to talk just to me. "I trust there is enough in there for most of the things you desire," he said with a wink. "Now, Professor, I would like to fill you in on our new student and her current situation." I stood up and thanked them both before closing the office door behind me.

My head was spinning. I felt like I was going to fall over if I was not careful. I steadied myself against the wall, and pinched myself to make sure it was really happening. This was it. I was starting over. I could finally be who I had always wanted to be since I started my life at Hogwarts. It was going to be better this time, I just knew it.

I shot out of the castle like a bullet as I ran towards Hogsmeade. I had no idea how much was in that small sack Dumbledore gave me, but I intended on using the lot of it. As I passed the Quidditch pitch, I saw the two boys I had met earlier. Sirius and James. They were whizzing through the air after each other as they practiced.

"What time are try-outs tomorrow, James?" Sirius yelled as he threw the quaffle to his friend.

"Seven sharp! Will you be there?" James called as he flew in circles.

"We'll see. I'd hate to take the spotlight from you if I actually made the team!" Sirius laughed as he corkscrewed through the air. "I'll be here for moral support, at least!" A surge of excitement powered through me. Quidditch tryouts were tomorrow and I could have a shot at making the team! I started galloping towards Hogsmeade, jiggling the change in the pocket of my robes. I hoped I would not have to steal another broom from the shed.

Upon making my way into the small village, I first entered a clothing shop and tried on numerous outfits. I settled on a few and made my way up to the counter to pay. "Twenty galleons, please," the storewoman said. I opened the small bag of coins and reached in. It felt as though my hand had dove into a lake of coins. I peered into the bag and was astonished at all the money. 'Dumbledore must have used the undetectable extension charm.' My heart soared. I paid the woman and skipped out to visit other shops to purchase necessary school things.

After a few hours, my arms were full of bags containing quills, books, parchment, phials, and I even had a silver cauldron swinging on my arm. I was nearly headed out of the village when I spotted a beautiful object in one of the store windows. It was the newest Nimbus model and its broom handle was so shiny that I could see my reflection. If I was going to make the Quidditch team, I would need a top of the line broom. I jingled my bag of coins as I entered the shop. "How much for the Nimbus?" I asked gingerly, approaching a man who was wiping down the front counter. He did not even look up at me.

"Too much for a kid like you," he said coldly. Without saying a word, I emptied my bag of coins on the counter, making a medium sized pile of shining galleons. The man's eyes widened. "Would you like to test-fly it or have me wrap it straight away?"

With my pockets empty and my arms full of new sundries, I headed back up to Hogwarts. The sun was beginning to get lower in the sky as I entered the castle. I made it to the first flight of stairs when Professor McGonagall caught up to me.

"Hello, dear," she said, much more warmly this time than in Dumbledore's office.

"Hello, Professor. It was a beautiful day today," I said, positively beaming. My excitement was still boiling inside me. Professor McGonagall tittered.

"Yes, Miss Horsefeather, it really was. Did you buy all of the necessary things?" She said as she craned her head to eyeball the abnormally wrapped package under my arm, oddly shaped like a broom. I nodded as I struggled to keep all of the bags in my arms. "Oh, let me help you with all that!" She grabbed a few of the items from my arms and continued to walk with me up to Gryffindor tower. "I find your situation remarkable, Miss Horsefeather. I really hope you are happy as you stay with us," McGonagall said, smiling at me. I imagined that this was nearly as exciting for her as it was for me.

We arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady moments later. "Who are you?" She questioned, sounding much ruder than I'm sure she meant.

"This is a Gryffindor student!" Professor McGonagall said, very matter-of-fact.

"Well of course dear," the portrait said, a little more humbled. "Password?"

"Fig Pie!" McGonagall said, and the portrait swung open into a room laden with red and gold tapestry and lit by a fire so bright that the light flickered and danced against the walls. It was much cozier than the Slytherin common room. There were even windows peering into the night sky. "I hope this will suit you, Miss Horsefeather." All I could do was nod. "Go get settled in your dormitory. I assume your housemates are in the Great Hall having their evening meal. You may join them if you wish." She turned around and left through the portrait hole.

I decided to go down from dinner once I had settled into my quarters. I made my way into the Great Hall and searched for a spot to sit at the Gryffindor table. Although I was painfully shy, I knew I needed to find somebody to become friends with, preferably sooner than later. As I scanned the table, I noticed someone looking at me, and I recognized that someone to be Sirius. I waved at him and he smiled and waved back. I trotted over to where he and James were sitting and sat down beside him.

"Hello, mystery woman," Sirius said slyly as he slid me a plate full of food.

"I'm hardly a mystery, Sirius," I said, taking a drink from the goblet in front of me.

"You showed up out of nowhere wearing Gryffindor robes, Dumbledore was frantically looking for you, and you have got the most dazzling eyes I have ever seen," he said as he leaned in to me, nearly whispering. "You're definitely a mystery to me, Marilyn."


	4. Chapter 4

I spent the rest of the meal trying to hide my blushing face from Sirius's eyes, although I doubt I hid it very well. His dark features and soulful brown eyes were enough to make any girl swoon, and I realized that shortly after I sat down next to him. Practically every girl who passed him, not excluding Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, desperately fawned over him. I could tell he had been used to it, since he just shooed them away carelessly.

"So Marilyn," Sirius said, quite casually as he tucked a fist underneath his chin, "where exactly have you been hiding all this time? I really would like to know why I have never noticed you before." His smile was so relaxed. I fidgeted with my fork, not knowing what to say. I did not want to tell him my secret this early in the game. I decided to change the subject.

"Do you play quidditch, Sirius?" I asked, hoping the abrupt change in conversation would be enough for him to understand I did not want to talk about myself. He began to speak when James, sitting on the opposite side of him, chimed in.

"I play quidditch!" He said excitedly. "I'm the captain." I could tell he was very proud about the position he occupied. 'Of course he's the captain. Like father like son,' I thought to myself. I decided this would be a nice conversation to keep going.

"I've always wanted to play quidditch," I said, looking down at my plate, remembering all the tryouts I had been to, and all the mockery I had received for it.

"Tryouts are tomorrow!" James exclaimed. "Are you a good flyer?" I hadn't really known if I was a _good_ flyer. I did as well as any witch or wizard could on that medieval broomstick I had stolen. I was sure, however, that with the proper equipment, I could fly circles around the Slytherins.

"Oh, yeah," I said confidently. "I can fly circles around the Slytherins." Their eyes lit up. I knew I had said just the right thing. I was very aware of the rivalry between the two houses, and although I never had a problem with the Gryffindors, I would play this to my advantage.

"We really need another chaser," James said. "Can I count on you to be at tryouts?" His eyes pleaded with mine.

"I'll think about it," I said coolly, fully intending on making the Gryffindor quidditch team.

"I really hope you come. Seven tomorrow morning, sharp!" James said, pointing his finger at me commandingly. I nodded as I took one last sip of my pumpkin juice, content that I now had more friends my first night of my new life than I ever had previously.

The next morning, I woke up before the sun had even peeked over the hills. My stomach was in knots and I could barely sleep the night before. Despite my lack of rest, however, I felt more energized than ever, and confident that today would be the day I had awaited for six long years: the day I make the quidditch team. I was conflicted as I got undressed in front of my trunk. I had no sporty clothes, and I neglected to buy some during my visit to Hogsmeade. I threw my trunk open, hoping to find something satisfactory. Then I noticed a medium sized package wrapped in brown parchment with a note on it. '_I thought these would come in handy, after seeing that broom of yours you were carrying yesterday_.' At the bottom of the note, it was signed 'Professor McGonagall.' I tore off the paper and was delighted to find a full outfit of quidditch gear, including arm and leg guards, flying gloves, and a red and gold Gryffindor jersey. 'I knew I liked that woman,' I thought with a smile. I got dressed, grabbed my broom, and headed out of the dormitory, my hearts soaring.

I skipped past the Great Hall. I decided not to bother with breakfast. It would only slow me down, and I needed to be light on my feet, or broom if you would like to get technical. As I walked out into the morning air, the October chill brushed my face and sent shivers across my skin. The smell of wet grass and browning leaves filled my nose as I trudged down toward the pitch. When I reached the field, I saw that I was the only person around, being over half an hour early for tryouts, just as I had planned. I wanted to get a good fly in on my broom before everyone else arrived, just to see if I was as fast as I had let on the night before. I mounted my broom and kicked off the ground, hovering higher and higher into the air. I steadied myself at the same height as the goal posts as I felt my new broom sitting underneath me. It was smooth, and I could feel the power surging through it, as if it were begging me to unleash its ability. I leaned forward and raced to the other end of the field. I had never been on a broom that went so fast, and flew so smoothly. I reached the goal posts and looped through the hoops, turning on a dime. My heart was racing at the same speed as I was flying. After looping and corkscrewing through the air for a few more minutes, I heard a whistle from below. I caught my breath and recognized Sirius and James, along with another Gryffindor boy, entering the field. I touched down and dismounted, and ran to meet them, still breathing quickly from the previous excitement.

"My, my," Sirius said, eyeballing my broomstick, "that's some broom you got there, Marilyn. Very shiny." He gave me a sweet smile.

"Thank you, Sirius," I said nonchalantly, trying not to sound winded. "What time is it?" James looked down at his watch.

"About ten minutes until seven. People should be arriving soon," he said as he took the box of quidditch balls and placed them in the middle of the field. I looked over at the other boy who came down with them. He was staring down at his feet.

"Sirius, are you going to introduce me to your friend?" I said, gesturing toward the boy standing beside him.

"Oh right," Sirius said, shaking his head as if he were escaping a daze. He slapped his friend on the back. "This is Remus." Sirius shoved him toward me as I held out my hand. "You would have met him yesterday, but he spent the entire weekend in the library, the studious little devil." Remus shook my hand, and I noticed he had scars on his face and a somewhat gaunt look about him. He smiled at me, and I could tell it was genuine.

"Hello, Remus. I'm Marilyn," I introduced myself, returning his smile. Something was very familiar about him. I felt like I had met him before, maybe in a dream.

"Well, Marilyn," Sirius interjected, "Remus and I are going to go up into the stands to get a good seat." He winked at me.

"You're not going to try out? You've got the build for a beater, you know," I said, eyeing him up and down. He gave a small chuckle.

"Well, like I told James yesterday, I would hate to take the spotlight from him." He came closer to whisper into my ear. "Although, I'm sure you'll be the one to do that." My ears turned red as I blushed. Sirius had such a hold over me that I couldn't shake. He and Remus walked up to the stands and I met James on the field.

One by one, more Gryffindors hiked onto the quidditch pitch, with brooms in hand. We all lined up in front of James, ready for him to give the orders. I looked around at the others, and, to my surprise, I was the only girl trying out. I thought that this would give me an advantage. I was the smallest, and therefore the lightest, so I would be quicker on my broom than the rest of these brutes. I stood up tall and threw my hair back. I had never felt so poised in my life.

"Alright, everyone. Welcome to tryouts," James said as he opened up the box of quidditch balls. "I trust you all know what these are." There were a few mumbles of 'yes' and people nodding their heads. He took out the quaffle and tossed it around in his hands. "We need a keeper, two beaters, and a chaser." James looked at me from the top of his glasses and smirked. I returned his smirk with a toothless grin. "So mount your brooms and have at it!"

All of us pushed off of the ground hard, and I noticed a few of the boys admiring my broom. James released the bludgers and threw the quaffle high in the air. I darted toward the red ball. I noticed a few people who looked like second years race me as I pursued the quaffle. I seized it in my arm and rushed toward one of the goal posts. I hammered the ball through the middle hoop, barely missing the hopeful keeper's grasp. The boy mouthed a swear word as a fist came down on his broom. He looked like he wanted this just as badly as I did. The next goal, I thought to myself, I'll make at the other end of the field.

The first ten minutes of tryouts, I tussled with the other hopeful chasers, and came out on top each time. After a while of me stealing the quaffle and making goals, it seemed that the others banded together, tossing each other the ball in hopes I would not get my hands on it again. The looks in their eyes told me that they knew the outcome of these tryouts, and it did not look good in their favor. After making one last goal before James blew the whistle signaling the end of the scrimmage, I caught Sirius's eye as he watched me from the stands. He had a smirk on his face that told me he was impressed. I smiled to myself and descended to the ground where James was waiting.

"Alright, great job all of you!" He began to clap, as only a couple other people clapped along with him. "I will have the list of the four new players posted in the common room tonight before dinner. Thank you all for coming out!" Everyone started talking amongst themselves as they began walking off the field. James was putting the three balls back into the box when Sirius and Remus came running from the stands.

"You're going to have a hard time choosing your keeper, James," Sirius said, slapping his shoulder. "None of them could block Marilyn's shots!" James chuckled as he locked the box and heaved it onto his shoulder. Sirius gave me a sideways glance.

"You were very impressive out there, Marilyn," Remus said softly. "There's no way James won't pick you." A wide smile crept across my face.

"Now, Remus," James said playfully, "we must not discuss this before I have made my decision. I doubt the other Gryffindors would approve if they knew I was deliberating the tryouts with the girl who showed them all up." We all started laughing as we headed off the field and back up toward the castle.

As we reached the Great Hall, I stopped as the smell of cinnamon toast and poached eggs wafted toward me. I just realized how hungry I was when my stomach started making some unbelievable noises. Sirius locked his arm with mine.

"Let's have a celebratory breakfast shall we?" He muttered in my ear. I just giggled and allowed him to steer me to a spot at the Gryffindor table. "We'll see you boys back in the common room!" Sirius waved at James and Remus, an obvious gesture that urged them to leave him alone with me. I could see James giving him a cautioning stare as they walked away from the Great Hall and up toward Gryffindor tower.


	5. Chapter 5

As we sat at the table enjoying our breakfast, I noticed that Sirius's arm would brush against my shoulder every now and then, or his hand would touch mine as he reached for a piece of bread. Although I was not truly experienced in the department of romance, I had a fairly good idea of what it looked like when a boy was trying to get close to me. We mostly chit-chatted about small things, such as quidditch and classes, while we finished up our meal. I still was not comfortable in divulging my true self. After all, it had hardly been a day since I met him. I barely knew who Sirius was. Aside from being devilishly handsome and quick-witted, Sirius was as much of a mystery to me as I was to him.

"I can't believe we are in most of the same classes," said Sirius as he brought a goblet of pumpkin juice to his lips. "Remind me again why I have not seen you before?" I smiled and looked down at my empty plate.

"I suppose you just haven't been looking," I lied. I could feel his eyes piercing through me.

"Well you have caught my attention now, Miss Horsefeather," Sirius said playfully, "and I doubt I will ever be able to look away." He had such a way with his words. He knew exactly what to say to make a girl blush. He squeezed my hand as he stood up. "May I escort you to Gryffindor tower?" He asked as he held out his arm for me to grab. I just smiled and laced my arm through his and allowed him to walk me out of the Great Hall.

As we headed up the first flight of stairs, Sirius cleared his throat. "So Marilyn, why aren't you in Slytherin?" My body stiffened at this question and my breath quickened.

"What do you mean?" I said rather curtly, hoping he was not implying that I was more like a Slytherin than a Gryffindor, or even worse, he knew something about my secret. I looked straight ahead as I waited for him to explain.

"I didn't mean anything by it," he said quickly. I could tell he felt that he might have upset me by asking. "It's just that your family," he began to stumble over his words, "I mean, the Horsefeathers have a very pure blood line, and, as I recall, your entire family has been in Slytherin." He stared down at his feet.

"How do you know so much about my family?" I asked, taking my arm out of his.

"Well, The Noble House of Black," he began, sounding very sarcastic as he mentioned his family name, "has very strong ties with every pure blood family in Britain." He did not sound very proud to be part of this 'Noble House of Black.' "Everyone in my family has been in Slytherin as well," he continued as I took his arm again, "except me, of course."

"You do not strike me as the Slytherin type. You're too kind-hearted," I said with a smile. "The Sorting Hat did well with you." Sirius looked at me, his dark eyes glittering.

"It did well with you, too," he said with a wink. I sighed, knowing that was not entirely true.

As we entered the common room, James and Remus were sitting at a table near the corner playing exploding snap. They had another person with them who I did not know. I whispered into Sirius's ear. "Sirius, who is that with Remus and James?" He smiled and pulled me over to where they were.

"Hello boys!" Sirius said excitedly. James and Remus barely bothered to look up. They were so enthralled with their card game that they gave a small nod. The other boy sitting at the table turned around, a mousey smile on his face.

"Hey Sirius! Want to play? This hand is about over!" The boy said.

"Maybe in a bit, Wormtail," Sirius said, and he nudged me forward to introduce me. "Marilyn, this is my friend Peter. The four of us are the sneakiest, cleverest blokes in the castle!" Sirius laughed as he clapped Peter on the shoulder. I held out my hand to greet him. He seemed a bit hesitant to shake it. "Don't be shy, Peter! Shake the girl's hand!" Peter chuckled nervously as he grasped my hand.

"Nice to meet you, Marilyn. Would you care to play?" He asked, sounding very cordial.

"No thanks, Peter. I think I'll just sit here and enjoy the fire," I said with a warm smile. As I sat down on one of the couches, Sirius came over and set a box down in front of me, and gave me a smirk.

"Wizard chess!" he said, sounding quite amused with himself as he opened up the box and took out the pearly white and ebony pieces. He set up the board with the white pieces on my side. "Ladies first!" We played chess for what seemed like hours. Sirius always demanded another game because he was not winning as often as he would have liked. I was very entertained at his frustration. "You're very good at this. Better than I would have guessed," he said with his hand over his mouth as he contemplated his next move.

"Well, I am full of surprises." That was the truth. "I played all the time when I lived with my grandmother," I said as I looked down at my lap. "We were very close." Sirius moved his rook a few spaces and said 'Check.'

"Were?" He asked softly as I considered my next move. Then he began to recant his question, as if the answer would hurt my feelings. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck. I moved my queen diagonally.

"Check mate," I said, and my queen stabbed his king through the heart with her scepter, and he fell to his knees as he clutched his chest. "No, it's alright," I said quietly, and I looked around for the other three. They were no longer at the table playing cards, so I assumed they had gone to the Great Hall for some lunch. "My grandmother died my third year. I was here at Hogwarts when it happened," I said as I looked toward the fire.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said again. I could tell it made him a bit uncomfortable to talk about morbid things.

"Oh, it's alright. It was a long time ago." I said, trying to sound airier than I really felt. Sirius looked up and gave me a small, sympathetic smile. I sighed and felt the need to change the subject again. "Tell me about you, Sirius. I've known you a full day and I feel like I barely know you," I said teasingly, nudging him with my foot. He grinned and adjusted his incline on the couch.

"Well," he began, "I ran away from home this summer and now I live with James," he said as he gazed up toward the ceiling. "I never had a great relationship with my parents. I did not agree with many of their beliefs."

"I did not have a very good relationship with my parents either," I said, not meaning to interrupt him. "So how is it living with James?" I tried not to talk about my own problems.

"It's really great. His parents are the best. They've been better parents to me these past few months than mine ever were. I really enjoy it there. I think you'd like them." I smiled to myself. I'm sure James's parents were exceptional; otherwise I doubt he would have turned out as nice as he was. "So what of your parents?" Sirius asked as he turned to look at me. I just shrugged.

"I never knew them. I was three days old when they dumped me on my grandmother," I said coldly. I sensed Sirius was uncomfortable again. "It wasn't a bad life, though, living with my grandmother," I said warmly, trying to diffuse the tension. "She was very intelligent and full of life. You would have liked her," I said smiling as I touched his hand. His eyes traveled up to meet mine. They were so full of soul and bewilderment. It was no wonder I always found it difficult to look away from them. It was like looking into a crystal ball. He took my hand in his.

"Marilyn, I know we just met and all," he said, almost shyly, "but I feel very close to you. As if I have known you for years." I felt like his eyes were peering into my soul, but I did not pull away. "And those eyes," he continued, surveying me carefully, "I don't know how I'll ever be able to look away." I felt my face turn red.

"You've said that once today already, Sirius," I said, still not looking away from him.

"Then I must really mean it," he said smiling.

"Honestly," I said softly, as if I did not want anyone around to hear me, even though the room was completely empty, "I feel the exact same way." I did not want this moment to end. I felt so vulnerable and open as we sat to closely together by the fire. I could feel the passion rush between us. It was nearly too much for me to handle.

We were still holding hands when the portrait hole flew open and James, Remus, and Peter stumbled into the common room. I ripped my hand away from his as he scooted to the edge of the couch, as if we had just been caught with our hands in the cookie jar. The three boys did not seem to notice however. They were preoccupied with something else exciting. James trotted over to the far wall by the staircases and held up a piece of parchment, muttered the sticking charm to fasten it to the wall.

"James decided on the new members of the team while we were at lunch!" Peter said excitedly as his gaze traveled to me. I jumped off the couch and ran over to him, shaking off the previous encounter I had just had with Sirius.

"I thought you weren't going to have this up until dinner!" I said eagerly, craning my neck to see past him and find my name on the parchment.

"Well, Marilyn," James said as he stepped out of the way, "like you, I was growing impatient as well." He laughed as Sirius joined us by the wall, trying to get a look in as well. I nearly screamed when I saw my name listed first under the title 'Chaser.' I wrapped my arms around James's neck.

"You have no idea what this means to me," I said softly in his ear. My heart was pounding with delight.

"You deserve it, Marilyn," he said, returning my hug. I released him and my face was beaming with an enormous, toothy smile. "I doubt the other house teams will know what hit them! Our first practice is tomorrow night at six. Bring you're A game," he said, with a lighthearted stare.

"I won't let you down, captain!" I said with a small salute. James headed up the steps toward the dormitory as more Gryffindors came down to investigate. Sirius wrapped his arm across my back and pulled me into a slight embrace.

"Congratulations! As if you didn't already know you had made the team," he said playfully. I wiggled free from his hold and headed toward the chess board still sitting in front of the couch.

"Best out of five-hundred then?" I said spiritedly with a wink, mocking Sirius's mischievousness, patting the spot next to me as I sat down. The pieces had already mended themselves back together. He just rolled his eyes as he made his way over.

"You've got to let me win a few," he said with playful exasperation in his voice, and we played until the sun had set beyond the hills.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, I awoke early, eager to attend my classes in this new time. It was the first time I had really noticed the other girls in the dormitory with me. Over the weekend, none of them returned to the room, except one. She had long, flowing, red hair and a fair complexion. She hardly paid much attention to me. As I was getting ready to leave and head toward the library before class began, I noticed her get out of bed and eyeball me, as if she was seeing an intruder.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "Did I wake you?" She rubbed her eyes and arched her back as she stretched.

"Oh, no," she said, walking over to her trunk. "I was just getting up to visit the library before class." I nodded. We had the exact same idea.

"I am headed down there now, actually," I said, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. I felt like I ought to introduce myself. "I'm Marilyn, by the way." I had no idea how I was going to explain myself to her. Surely she would have known I hadn't been around for five years, sleeping in the same room. It was easy to keep Sirius in the dark about my whereabouts, but how was I going to pull this off?

"I'm Lily," she said sleepily as she headed toward the bathroom.

"Nice to meet you, Lily," I said, hoping to escape before I was questioned any further. "Well, see you later, I suppose." I smiled and darted down the stairs. I needed to come up with a story, and quickly.

My mind was racing, trying to conjure up an idea to make sense of my secret, but nothing came to mind. As I reached the first floor, I blew past the library and headed for Dumbledore's office. Surely, as wise a man as he was, he could come up with something. As I approached the statue and began to mutter the password, the staircase began moving, and a tall, white-bearded wizard descended.

"Dumbledore," I said, quite frantically, "I don't mean to bother you, sir, but," he held up his hand to silence me.

"Not in the least, dear girl," he said. "I was just on my way to the kitchen to sneak a scoop of ice cream, but I imagine that you have something more urgent than an early morning sweet run. Please, come in." He ushered me up to his office and conjured a chair for me to sit in. I mumbled 'Thank you' and sat down. "I have been expecting you since you left my office a couple of days ago," he said casually.

"You've been expecting me, sir?" I said, my mind still racing.

"Of course I have," he said as he reached into a gold tin and pulled out a lemon drop. "I expected you to have questions. It's not every day that a student travels through time and doesn't hit a few snags as they try to wrap their minds around their situation." He popped the candy in his mouth and leaned forward with a concerned look. "You're not regretting your stay here with us, are you Miss Horsefeather?" My eyes widened. The last couple of days here had been the most wonderful of any days I could ever remember.

"Not at all sir," I said, still trying to compose myself. "It's just that, people will notice that I haven't been here for the last five years. How am I supposed to pretend as if I have? I'm not much of a liar." It surprised me to say this. Being a former Slytherin, one would think that lying would be a particular specialty of mine. I honestly hadn't known if I was a good liar or not, because I had never found a reason to until just recently. There weren't many instances where lying was necessary when you had nobody to talk to.

Dumbledore pondered as he tossed the lemon drop around in his mouth. "I have already made your professors aware of your situation, and asked them to treat you no differently than had you been in their classes the previous years. And as for your peers," he continued, "I suggest that the people who are becoming your close friends," he eyeballed me from the tops of his glasses, "you may confide in." I stared blankly at him. He sat back in his chair, confident in the advice he had just given me.

"And what about the others, sir? What do I tell them if they come asking?" I asked as I fidgeted with my robes.

"Simply tell them that you have been abroad, and have just returned to Hogwarts for your sixth year," he said calmly. "And if they don't believe you after that, then I will leave you with this last tidbit of information. In the words of a famous muggle philosopher, 'Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.'" I nodded in appreciation and headed out of his office feeling more composed. As I exited the spiraled staircase, I trotted off to the dungeons for my first class.

As I entered the Potions Classroom, I noticed that it had not changed a bit. It still had the same lingering smell of potions past, and I immediately recognized a younger version of Professor Slughorn. As the rest of the class filed in, I began digging around my bag for parchment and quills and my textbook.

"Hello, class!" Slughorn said enthusiastically. "I want you all to pair up for today's potion. We'll be making a rather tricky sleeping draught!" I looked around for someone who would possibly be my partner, but it seemed as though I had been the odd man out. Slughorn recognized immediately that I was without a partner. "Miss Horsefeather!" He gestured to me. "Won't you join Mister Snape and Miss Evans for today?" I nodded in agreeance and shyly scampered over to the two students near the front of the classroom. I recognized the girl to be Lily, who I had met earlier, and the boy I noticed as no other than a young Severus Snape. He rolled his eyes as I stood next to them, while Lily greeted me with a small wave and a smile.

"I'll go get the ingredients!" She said warmly, and scurried off to the cupboard on the other side of the room. Snape wrinkled his nose as if he had just smelled something rotten.

"A Horsefeather in Gryffindor?" he scoffed, still not turning his head to look at me straight on. "Any relation to Zephyros?" He asked rather coldly. My skin became clammy. That was my father's name: the name of the man who murdered a trainful of innocent people and did many horrible things while doing the bidding of You-Know-Who. I clenched my fists under the table, trying to keep my composure on the surface as my insides were boiling.

"Distant cousins, perhaps," I said through gritted teeth. Lily skipped back up to the table with an armful of ingredients, nearly dropping a phial of rat tonic that toppled at the peak of the mountain she held in her arms.

"Shall we get started then?" Lily said as Snape helped her place the ingredients on the table. I nodded and gave Snape a sideways glance as I opened my textbook to the sleeping draught.

The rest of the day, I attended each of my classes with Sirius. It felt fresh to be beside him after being with Snape for the first hour. I still could not get my father out of my mind. As we sat listening to the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher explain about the theory behind nonverbal spells, I slipped Sirius a note. '_What do you know about Zephyros Horsefeather?_' The writing was a bit sloppy, since I could barely keep my hand steady as I wrote. Sirius gave me a strange look.

'_He's a seventh year. Slytherin. Why?_' I could tell by his eyes that he knew the gears in my mind were turning. I was going to have a difficult time keeping myself from divulging everything to him, but there was so much I needed to find out, and I wouldn't be able to go on without someone knowing who I was. I just shook my head.

'_I need to talk to you tonight after classes._' I wrote, my heart pounding. I hadn't known Sirius for more than a few days. Could I trust him with such an enormous secret? He looked over at me and gave me an assuring look and mouthed 'Sure' as he shot me a quick smile and turned back to listen to the professor. I folded up the note and stuffed it in my robes, unsure of how this was all going to turn out.

We spent dinner mostly engaged in unimportant chit-chat among James, Remus, and Peter. I was becoming eager to have a private conversation with Sirius so I could finally be myself around him. A few times, he nudged my shoulder as I had far-off looks in my eyes. He was good at bringing me back to reality.

"Hey, Marilyn," James called to me from the other side of the table. I looked up quickly, preoccupied with my thoughts.

"Hmm?" I said, close-mouthed and still distant.

"We've got quidditch practice in half an hour," he said, getting up from the table. "Don't be late!" James bid his friends goodbye and trotted off out of the Great Hall.

"Damn it!" I mouthed into my fists. I began to get up when Sirius's eyes met mine.

"I'm really sorry Sirius. It completely slipped my mind," I said as I took one last sip from my goblet. He just smiled at me.

"It's alright, Marilyn," he said sweetly. "We'll talk tonight," he winked at me mischievously and I didn't dare argue with such a rascally smirk. I gave him a half-hearted smile and waved to Remus and Peter as I hurried out of the Great Hall following James.

Quidditch practice lasted an hour past the sunset. I remember being high in the air on my broom and witnessing it dip behind the hills. It was truly a wonderful sight to behold. The new keeper was in fact the boy who I had scored my first goal against. I was very pleased when he greeted me without any ill feelings. The entire team was very welcoming and the first practice was exactly as I had imagined it, but my mind was still resting with Sirius in Gryffindor tower. As we all trudged back into the castle and up toward Gryffindor tower, I ripped off my arm and leg guards and approached the Fat Lady. "Fig Pie!" I said tiredly, and she swung open into the common room. A few people were scattered among the couches in front of the fireplace as we all filed in through the portrait hole. I spotted Sirius sitting in the corner reading a book. I made my way over to him and yanked it out of his hands.

"_Encyclopedia of Toadstools_," I said mockingly. "Is it a very riveting read, Sirius?" I started giggling as I handed the book back to him, feeling my sweaty clothes stick to my skin.

"It's actually very interesting," he said, continuing to flip through the pages. "Hogwarts has a trove of truffles all throughout the dark forest." He looked interested as he said this, skimming over a few words. He looked up at me. "You're sweaty. Go get cleaned up and come find me down here," he said, giving me a shooing gesture. I looked at him and wrinkled my forehead. "Unless you have changed your mind about wanting to talk?" His eyes pleaded with me. I could tell he was desperate to know everything I wanted to tell him. I was anxious, too. But for different reasons. He knew he was going to learn a secret, but to me, it was much more than that. It was my life, my past… or was it my future? I could barely comprehend it myself any longer. I gave him a nod and headed up to the dormitories, his eyes following me until I disappeared up the staircase.


	7. Chapter 7

I headed back down the stairs after taking a shower and washing the smell of quidditch practice off of me. I threw my hair into a pony tail, and did not neglect spraying a bit of perfume in the crook of my neck before I headed down to meet Sirius. He was in the same spot that I left him, though he had apparently grown tired of reading his book, so he stared at the floor as he waited. He stood up as soon as he saw me appear, and he held out his arm.

"Shall we?" he said with a small smile. I took his arm as he led me out of the common room.

"Sirius, it's past dark. We're not supposed to be out of Gryffindor tower," I protested, trying to pull him back through the portrait hole, but to no avail.

"Will you calm down?" he said, looking left and right through the corridors. "I'm an expert at sneaking. Just keep quiet until we get out of the castle." I silently brought my hand up to my mouth and gestured locking my lips with a key. I let him lead me down many staircases and out a small door towards the back of the castle. It opened up on the other side of the greenhouses and toward the lake.

"I never knew there was an exit there," I said quietly, still locked onto Sirius's arm.

"Not many people do. James, Remus, Peter and I know every nook and cranny of this entire castle. That's why we're so good at sneaking around," he explained with a wry smile. We continued to walk further from the castle toward the lake, the lights shining from the window getting fainter. The lake looked like glass, and was so dark against the sky. It was no wonder they called it the Black Lake. I could barely discern where the lake ended and the night sky began. A chill surged through me as a breeze picked up over the water. I gripped Sirius tighter as I shivered. He must have noticed, since he unlocked his arm from mine and draped it across my shoulder, pulling me close for warmth. He didn't say a word until I was ready to speak. We walked along the lake for fifteen minutes in silence, enjoying each other company and indulging in the closeness of our bodies. I was very grateful for his patience.

"Sirius," I said softly, trying to keep my voice low as if someone might hear what I was about to say. He hummed in acknowledgement. I took a deep breath, about to grant him the knowledge he had sought for days. "There is a reason you didn't know me before now." My body stiffened. I still wasn't sure how this was all going to pan out.

"I know," he said coolly. "I was just waiting for you to be ready to tell me why." His words were so smooth, as if he did not have a single care in the world keeping him from content. My stomach wretched as I prepared myself to tell him everything, while all the while, he was as calm as the October night we strolled through.

"You're not going to believe me when I tell you," I stalled. Sirius stopped and stood in front of me, placing his hands behind my neck. Chills shot through my body as his gaze penetrated through me.

"Marilyn, nothing you could possibly say would cause me not to believe you," he said, his eyes holding my stare. "You trust me with whatever it is you're about to tell me, and I give you my word." He didn't look away until I nodded that I understood. We wrapped his arm around my shoulders again and we continued walking down the shore of the lake.

"I'm not exactly from here," I said, not knowing fully how to explain. Sirius just nodded, silently asking me to speak further. "I mean," I stumbled over the words, "I'm from a different time, from the future." I winced as if I was waiting to get hit by a double-decker bus. Sirius pursed his lips, attempting to digest my very out-right statement. "I know it sounds unbelievable. I didn't believe it either when Dumbledore told me." I felt so frazzled. My mind was going in all sorts of directions. The fact that Sirius wasn't saying anything made me all the more dislocated. I looked at him, practically begging him to say something.

"Well," he began, "that certainly explains a lot." We continued to walk around the lake in silence. I kept quiet in order for Sirius to gather his thoughts. I knew it was a lot to take in, and I decided to be patient. After another fifteen minutes, "How?" was the only thing he could come up with to ask me. But I obliged.

"I went into the Room of Requirement in my own time, and came out in your time. That's really all I know about it," I said, trying to sound calm, as if this sort of thing happened all the time.

"The Room of Requirement?" He asked, sounding very puzzled, like the mention of a room he had never heard of stumped him more than finding out I had skipped through time.

"So much for knowing every nook and cranny of the school, Sirius," I said as both of us started laughing. "Maybe I'll show it to you sometime," I said with a wink. I felt the tension lessen as we held each other chuckling in the cool October air. A few more minutes passed before Sirius spoke again.

"So what of Zephyros Horsefeather?" He asked. I could tell the thought had just resurfaced in his mind. I had to think for a few seconds how I was going to approach this topic.

"Well," I began, the shakiness returning to my voice. I imagined that anything else I told Sirius would not come as much of a shock as my initial secret. "Zephyros, later in life, of course, is my father." Sirius furrowed his brow, like he was trying to comprehend how that was possible. I stayed silent as I watched him trying to work it out in his head. There was not much else I could elaborate on the subject.

"So your father is here at Hogwarts," he said as if he was figuring a mathematical equation in his head, "and you're here at Hogwarts at the same time." All I could do was nod. It was almost too much for me to even think about. "Well that's a bloody mess, isn't it?" He said, laughing. "What about your mother?" I just shrugged.

"Her name is Elektra. I have no idea her last name. I'm going to assume she is in Slytherin as well," I said, looking at Sirius, expecting him to answer. He gave a quizzical look and nodded.

"Yes, I think there is a girl named Elektra in Slytherin. She's a real frigid bitch." I just smiled. I was glad I was not the only one who disliked my parents. I felt very close to Sirius in this moment. It was like I was melting into him, and he was becoming part of me.

We continued around the lake for nearly another hour, talking about my past and how much things had already changed for the better. Sirius seemed genuinely interested in everything I had divulged to him. He was now the only person who really had a good idea of who I was. We stopped at the dock and dangled our feet off the edge, leaning against each other and watching the stars move across the water as it got later into the evening. Time seemed to slip away when I was with him. It didn't matter how late it was. I felt so at ease when I was with him. In his arms was where I felt most at home. We sat and peered out over the lake for what felt like hours. I felt my eyelids getting heavy with sleep.

"Sirius, I think it's getting late," I mumbled sleepily, resting my head on his shoulder, trying to keep my eyes from closing.

"It's nearly midnight," he said, looking up at the moon and judging the time by its location in the sky.

"So resourceful," I muttered through a yawn. I had begun to stand up when he grabbed my arm and pulled me back down.

"Stay with me," he said, his eyes reflecting the ripples of the water, "just for a little bit longer." I silently obliged as he pressed his forehead against mine, and then kissed my temple softly. I let out a contented sigh as he pulled me closer to him in his arms.

When we finally decided to head back up to the castle, Sirius grabbed my hand and laced his fingers through mine. It felt so right.

"I feel so much better now," I said, swinging my arm playfully as we trudged up the hill. He gave a small laugh.

"I have a secret too, Marilyn," He said quietly. "Do you want to see?" He stopped on the hill and waited for me to nod. "Okay, but promise not to scream or anything." He took a few steps away from me and gave me a mischievous smirk, one I was already very accustomed to. The next thing I knew, the spot where Sirius had stood was now occupied by a massive black dog, which started bounding around me playfully. I couldn't contain my giddy laughter as he came up to me wagging his tail. I scratched behind his ears as he licked my hand affectionately.

"This is so cool," I said as I stroked his head. He transformed back into a human and smiled at me. "That is some secret, Sirius." He wrapped his arm around me again as we continued walking up the hill.

"Thanks," he said, nearly out of breath. "James and Peter are Animagi as well."

"What about Remus?" I asked innocently. I felt Sirius tense up.

"We'll save that for another day," he said, although I was sure that he was never going to tell me a secret that was not his to tell, and I was not going to push for it.

"Can you teach me?" I asked as we approached the small door in the back of the castle. Sirius gave me a quizzical look.

"It's not as easy as you may think. It takes a lot of practice and skill to," I cut him off.

"Are you trying to say I'm not skilled?" I said teasingly. "I'll have you know, Sirius, that I am the most skilled witch of my class." That was not entirely true. Hermione Granger was the smartest and most resourceful of us all, but I followed a close second. Sirius merely chuckled.

"We'll see," he said as he cracked the door to see if anyone was around. "But if your Animagus turns out to be a sloth or a platypus or something, we won't let you hang out with us. It would be too embarrassing." I gave a good punch on his shoulder as we sneaked through the door and headed up toward Gryffindor tower. We reached the common room without anyone noticing us creeping through the corridors. The room was empty and the fireplace was just burning cinders. I headed toward the stairs when Sirius whispered after me. I turned around and saw him with his arms crossed over his chest. "No goodnight kiss?" He pouted playfully. I trotted over and kissed him on the cheek. His exasperated sigh told me that he was looking for a little more than that. I turned around and headed up the stairs.

"Goodnight, Sirius," I said drowsily. "See you in class tomorrow." I reached the top of the stairs and shut the door to the girls' dormitory.

"Goodnight, Marilyn," Sirius whispered. "See you in my dreams tonight." He smiled to himself and trudged up the opposite staircase to meet his loving bed.


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the week was uneventful at best. Between classes and quidditch practice, Sirius and I spent most of our time together studying, either in the library or next to the fire in the common room. Since I arrived right in the middle of term, I had a lot of catching up to do, including having to write essays, research papers, and I even had to come up with a prediction for Divination class. For my prediction, I decided to break away from the normal 'I see grave danger in your future' and I harped on my inner fortune cookie. "Your true love will show himself to you underneath the starlight" was the best I could come up with. When Friday came, and our last class was over, Sirius caught up with me and kissed me on the cheek.

"It's a Friday night, Miss Horsefeather," he said, as if he were on a cheesy game show. "Any hot dates tonight?" He had a hopeful look in his eye. I looked at him from the corner of my eye and saw him with a look on his face like a puppy sick with love.

"Oh, I don't know," I said casually. "It depends. What are you doing tonight?" I grabbed his hand and swung my arm enthusiastically.

"I guess I've got a date with you!" he said sounding a little bit too excited. "What did you have in mind?" He questioned, giving me the authority to pick the setting for our rendezvous. "We could go to Hogsmeade. I know a secret passage!" I gave him an amused look.

"Of course you know a secret passage, Sirius. But I have something else in mind." I gave him a wink that made his face turn pink. I stroked his hand with my thumb as we approached the portrait hole. "Fig Pie," I said quickly, but the portrait did not budge. "Fig Pie!" I said, even loudly, as if being more obnoxious would make it open easier.

"The password has changed, you silly girl! No need to shout!" The Fat Lady said, quite perturbed. I threw my hands up in exasperation as I felt my books getting heavier by the second.

"Well now I guess we wait until someone comes by with the password, or somebody lets us in." I said, sitting down on the floor in front of the portrait.

"You could always try guessing!" The Fat Lady piped up. "It's ruddy fun for me!" I rolled my eyes and Sirius started laughing.

"It's worth a shot!" he said, humoring the Fat Lady. "Argle-Bargle! Cockamamie! Whistling Kitty Chaser! Kerfuffle!" The Fat Lady was absolutely dying of laughter as Sirius rattled off the most ridiculous words he could think of. Gryffindor tower did, however, have the reputation of having the most outlandish passwords of any of the houses. I started to giggle as he looked at me and picked me up, helping me to stand. "You try some, Mar. We're bound to hit it eventually!"

"Namby-Pamby! Gobbledygook! Flibbertigibbet!" I could barely control myself from so much laughter. The Fat Lady was holding onto her sides, carrying on as if somebody had been tickling her with a feather duster. As soon as we nearly could not take it anymore, the portrait hole swung open, and James popped his head out to investigate.

"What's going on out here?" He question, eyeing Sirius and me as I wiped a tear from my eye and he straightened out his robes.

"Thank goodness, James," Sirius said, pushing his way past him into the common room. "We forgot the password." James looked us over as I was still trying to wipe away tears from laughing so hard.

"The password is collywobbles," he said shortly, obviously irritated that we were having such a good time over a trivial occurrence.

"I was just about to say that one!" I said as Sirius turned and smirked at me. "I promise!" As we both headed toward the stairs to the dormitories I pointed a finger at Sirius. "Meet me in ten minutes and we'll go get dinner, and then," I said, purposely leaving my statement hanging. I left him with a wink to go change out of my robes.

We ate dinner in a hurry, both of us eager to get on with our Friday night engagement. I could tell Sirius was excited and apprehensive for our evening together. "So you never told me what we are doing tonight," he said in a hushed tone as he finished off the last bite of his plate. James, Remus, and Peter were far off in their own conversation to notice us whispering.

"It's a secret!" I said, pressing my finger against my lips. Sirius's eyes lit up as if he'd just had a tremendous thought.

"Are you taking me to that room?" he said, a little louder than he probably should have. I shushed him and looked away, not wanting to give anything away too soon. Sirius jumped up from the table and took my hand in his.

"Well boys," he said, saluting to his friends, "we best be off. We've got a long night of essays ahead of us!" he dragged me out of the Great Hall before I could even give them a small wave goodbye. We ran up to the seventh floor, barely having time to catch our breaths and I stopped in front of the tapestry of the trolls in tutus. I looked behind me and discovered there was no door. "Is this where it is?" Sirius said, looking puzzled. I nodded and closed my eyes. I had not known exactly how I had gotten it to work the first time, but I had faith I could do it again. 'I need someplace where Sirius and I can be alone together. Something romantic and beautiful. Really impress me.' I kept my eyes shut tight until I heard the sound like vines crawling up a wall that told me that a door was conjuring itself. I heard Sirius gasp a little. I opened my eyes and saw a door that was much larger than it was the first time I had seen it. It was covered in intricate metal designs swirling along the grain of the wood, and the handle was giant and ornate, resembling a work of art. Sirius's mouth hung open as I reached for the handle to open the door.

As I pushed to door forward, I noticed the room was darker than it was the time before when I had entered. I walked in and felt soft earth beneath my feet. The floor was covered in dark green grass, and a short path was lined with tea candles. My mouth fell open as we both stepped in and closed the door behind us. The ceiling was bewitched to look like the night sky, but was much blacker, and the stars were even clearer to see than they were by night. I took Sirius's hand and led him down the candlelit path, where a large blanket was laid down with an array of pillows at its top. There was also a small gazebo in the background with disembodied sounds of violins radiating from it. At first, I thought it might have been too much, but judging by the bewilderment in Sirius's face, it was absolutely perfect.

"Shall we?" I said, holding out my hand as I sat down on the blanket and gazed up toward the stars. Sirius followed and sat down beside me, speechless. I scooted closer to him as we laid back to rest on the pillows and get a better view of the star-laden ceiling. I closed my eyes as I let the sound of the violins allow me to drift away.

"This is amazing," Sirius finally spoke, astonishment in his voice. I just hummed in agreement, feeling completely at peace.

I opened my eyes and gazed up again. "Tell me about the stars, Sirius," I said softly, knowing that we had both had the same astronomy classes. I thought maybe he would be able to tell me something new. Something dreamy. He slipped his arm underneath my neck, allowing me to rest my head on his chest. He pointed up.

"Do you see Orion's belt?" he said, motioning with his hand as he pointed out three stars. I nodded. He then moved his gesture toward the left. "See that really bright star? It's the brightest star in the night sky," he said, sounding satisfied with his knowledge.

"Is that the north star?" I questioned, noticing that we were not looking at the Big Dipper. He shook his head.

"That star is a part of the constellation Canis Major, Orion's hunting companion." I did not know why I had not known this already. It seemed like something I would have learned first year, but I did not dwell on it.

"What's it called?" I asked, trying to make out the shape of a dog among the glittering stars.

"Sirius," he said with a smile. I looked up at him, doe-eyed. I longed to be so much closer to him, though our bodies were already pressed against each other. He placed his fingers under my chin and lifted my face even with his. I could feel his breath linger on my skin as I breathed in his scent. He smelled like sandalwood and evergreen, faintly like a love potion. Butterflies fluttered inside me when I felt him lean into me and press his smile against my lips, as his hand traveled up to touch my face. I leaned into him and returned his kiss, running my fingertips up his arm, shooting chills through his body. I felt like electricity was surging between us as we kissed, the violins still playing in the background. I felt like we were no longer in the Room of Requirement, or even still at Hogwarts. I felt like we had traveled to a place far beyond the walls of the castle where no one could interrupt us, like we were settled on a cloud that was all our own and we floated high above the earth, warm inside each other's embrace.

When our lips finally separated, I gave a sigh of content. I had not wanted it to end. His gaze captured mine as I studied his face. The stars flickered in his eyes and they glowed a deep brown, full of passion and life. "Such beauty," he whispered, kissing me again delicately. I had never felt so complete in my life as I adjusted myself onto his chest where I was before. He stroked my hair as we continued to look up at the ceiling full of twinkling orbs.

"Can we name a star after me?" I said softly. Sirius kissed my head as a new, small light flickered beside the brightest star in the sky.

"How about that one?" he said, pointing to the light that had just blinked beside his. "I don't think that one has a name yet." I watched as it glowed brightly.

"I think that's a perfect one," I said closing my eyes and smiling as I breathed in his scent again. It was as if each second I laid beside him was a second I fell deeper and deeper under his spell. I heard his gasp as he pointed up in excitement. There were streaks of light flashing across the blackness of the ceiling. "Shooting stars," I said in wonder, watching as they flew across the darkness.

"Don't forget to make a wish," Sirius said, tightening his arm around me and pulling me even closer to him. He closed his eyes and bit his lip as if he were wishing the biggest wish he could come up with.

"What are you wishing for?" I asked with curiosity.

"It won't come true if I tell you," He said with a chuckle. "What about you?" I didn't say anything. I had no idea what to possibly wish for. I had everything I had ever wanted in this room with me. I was genuinely happy as I thought about my prediction for Divination. 'Your true love will show himself to you underneath the starlight.'


	9. Chapter 9

"This is an absolute abomination!" Zephyros Horsefeather sneered as Severus Snape trotted after him through the hallway. "You're sure she's my kin, Snape?" he shot a look at Severus, wrinkling his pointed nose. Severus nodded.

"She's in Potions class with me. You have a certain likeness," he said emotionless. Zephyros gave a disgusted scoff.

"A Horsefeather in Gryffindor. I never thought I would see the day. Our family name has been hauled through dragon shit," he said through gritted teeth. "Where is she now?" his black eyes had a hint of embers burning inside them.

"I imagine she's with Sirius Black," Severus said, a nauseated look on his face as he mentioned the name of one of his long-time tormentors. "They have been looking mighty cozy lately, skipping through the corridors like some doe-eyed looneys."

"Even better. Fraternizing with a traitorous ingrate," Zephyros said as he traipsed down the staircase toward the dungeons. He clenched his fist as he shoved them into his pockets. He was maddened by the thought of a disgrace to the Horsefeather name. It was the only pure-blood line that had not yet been tainted by a do-gooder blood traitor, and he was not going to let some distant cousin of his ruin that reputation.

The next morning, I awoke refreshed and rejuvenated as I stretched out the night's sleep. It was a Saturday morning and the sunshine poured through the arched windows, spilling light across the stone floor. I pulled on a pair of jeans and ran down to the common room, hoping to meet my beloved at the bottom of the stairs. The common room was quiet and empty, aside from a second-year snoring over a pile of books in the corner. I sat down on one of the couches in front of the hearth and waited. A few minutes passed when I heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs from the boys' dormitory. I turned with a smile, hoping it was Sirius, but instead I was met with a sleepy-eyed Remus.

"Good morning, Remus," I said cheerfully. He just gave me a half smile. "Has Sirius gotten up yet?" I tried not to sound eager, Remus just shook his head.

"I doubt he will be up any time soon. He got in late last night," he said as I tried to hide a smirk, "and he was up for a few hours after that, too." Remus looked pale, and he winced occasionally as if his body were aching all over.

"Are you alright, Remus?" I asked, concerned that he might be coming down with an illness.

"Yes, I'm fine," he said, making a conscious effort to pull himself together. "Just a bit hungry."

"I am too," I said as a stood up from the couch. "Let's go get some breakfast." And we ducked out of the portrait hole, leaving the common room empty once more. Over breakfast, Remus and I talked about anything we could think of. Quidditch, classes (which I found out Remus was in my Potions class, hiding at one of the back tables), our favorite places down in Hogsmeade.

"I was brave enough to visit the shrieking shack once," I said proudly, as if this were an accomplishment to be fawned over. Little did I know that Remus visited it every month. He gave me a shy smile and pushed the food around on his plate with his fork.

"It's a pretty creepy place," he said, not looking up. I could sense that talk of the supposed 'Most Haunted Building in Britain' was making him uncomfortable. "So you and Sirius have become fast friends," he changed the subject. I nodded my head shyly. It really had only been a week and I was already falling head over heels for Sirius Black. Remus raised his eyebrows and gave a doubtful look. "Just be careful." I whipped my head around to face him, not knowing full well what he meant. He looked startled at my sudden jerk. "I'm just saying," he began, "Sirius has a bit of a reputation. I'm sure you haven't neglected to notice all the girls who fall all over him." He gave a small chuckle. I put my elbows on the table and rubbed my head. Remus saw the distress growing in my eyes.

"Are you saying I have made a mistake by getting close to him?" I said softly. Remus put his hand on my arm.

"I did not mean for it to sound like that. I know Sirius likes you. I can see it in the way he looks at you," he said with a genuine smile. I returned his smile with a playful nudge. I checked my watch and noticed it was barely eight o'clock.

"So what are you going to do now?" I asked him, not wanting to be alone on a Saturday morning. "Going to poor over more books in the library?" I said, teasingly. He just shrugged. I racked my brain for something to do that did not include studying or causing mischief. "Want to go flying?" Remus's eyes lit up and we ran out of the Great Hall to fetch our broom sticks.

It was in the afternoon when we decided to dismount and head back toward the castle. The morning had slipped away from us as we skimmed over the grounds of Hogwarts, flying over the lake and zigzagging between the towers of the school, we even missed the flailing branches of the Womping Willow by inches, taunting it because it couldn't reach us as we sailed through the chilled air. As we walked through the corridors to head back up to Gryffindor tower, I noticed that some color had come back to Remus's face, although it might have just been the wind-bitten look of his rosy cheeks. We were headed to the Great Hall for something to eat when he looked at the clock.

"I think I'm going to skip lunch, Marilyn," he said, an anxious look in his eyes. I shook my head in understanding and he shot down the corridor. As I walked into the Great Hall, I saw Sirius and James sitting at the Gryffindor table across from Peter, all three of them laughing heartily. I sat down beside Sirius, rubbing his neck as I greeted him. He welcomed me between bouts of laughter.

"What's so funny that's got you boys laughing like school girls?" I asked.

"We were talking about one time when James and Sirius," Peter began. He could barely talk through his endless giggles, "gave Snape a love potion! He fell in love with McGonagall!" He grabbed his side as he tried to get a sip of water from his goblet.

"He even showed up to her quarters in the middle of the night, and she had to escort him down to the dungeons wearing her night clothes!" James said, amused with himself. I laughed as I imagined Severus Snape doe-eyed for Professor McGonagall.

"It took a week for Slughorn to get the right antidote for it," Sirius said. "We made it pretty strong for old Snivellus!" I began to feel a pang of sympathy for Snape. I knew what it felt like to be picked on, although, I was never slipped a love potion and infatuated with one of my professors. "Where have you been, by the way?" Sirius asked casually, trying to sound as if my whereabouts had no effect on his morning. I knew he was only trying to sound nonchalant in front of his friends, because he leaned over and whispered 'because I missed you' softly into my ear. I blushed.

"Remus and I went flying. We explored the grounds," I said as I began to eat a roll off my plate. I saw Sirius's eyes narrow slightly, as if a small bit of jealousy were sneaking up from his stomach. I touched his arm and whispered 'but I missed you too' and gave him a flirtatious smile.

"Where is Remus, anyway?" Sirius asked, realizing that his friend was not indeed sitting with them. I shrugged.

"He said he did not want to eat. I guess he went back up to the common room. He seemed in a bit of a rush," I said, not thinking anything of it. James, Sirius and Peter exchanged looks, and then craned their heads to look out the window.

"We've got plenty of time," said James as he stood up from the table, followed by Peter. "We'll see you in a bit, Padfoot." They both walked out of the Great Hall as Sirius scooted closer to me.

"Everyone seems so urgent today," I said as he slipped his arm around my waist and smiled.

"Want to go to the Room of Requirement?" He said with a cunning smirk creeping across his face. I gave him an appalled look, as if he were insinuating something. "Not for that reason! I was thinking we could begin your lessons!" I gave him a puzzled stare. He came in close and lowered his voice. "Animagus lessons." My face brightened. I had nearly forgotten about Sirius agreeing to teach me. I nodded my head excitedly. He scooped my arm in his as we exited the Great Hall and headed up to the seventh floor corridor. We approached the empty wall and looked around to make sure nobody would catch us, but the corridor was completely barren. I closed my eyes as I began to imagine the door when Sirius interrupted me. "Let me try it this time," he said as he grabbed my hand and closed his eyes. I saw his lips making words silently, and then the door began to materialize. It looked as big as it had the night before, but there were no intricate designs swirling around it, and the handle looked like a giant bronze knocker. "After you," Sirius gestured, and I squeezed into the room.

The room looked completely different, as it did every time I had entered it. This time, it had an arched ceiling and the walls were lined with books. There was a fireplace whittled into one of the bookshelves, and a few padded chairs circled it. Other than that, it was a wide empty space.

"I don't know how long this will take you to master," Sirius began as he strolled around the room. "After all, it took us three years to get the hang of it." He fingered the spines of a few books on the wall, and then looked over at me. "But then again, we aren't as bright as you." I began to blush. "You may get it within a month!" I walked toward him as he sat down in one of the chairs near the hearth. The mantle was lined with small, silver figurines of animals, which glinted from the light of the fire. "The first thing about becoming an Animagus is embracing your inner animal." He clutched his chest as if he was able to feel the dog inside of him. At first I didn't understand how to do this, but then I finally grasped it. There was not a dog inside Sirius. There was loyalty, faithfulness, and a strong desire to love inside Sirius. I tried to search inside of myself as Sirius looked at me.

"I'm not sure if I know myself well enough," I said softly as I picked up on of the figurines, an elephant. Sirius stood up and grabbed me from behind.

"You're not an elephant," he said laughing. I turned to him with a disappointed look. We were barely even ten minutes into my first lesson and I was already losing hope in my ability to become an Animagus. Sirius put a finger under my chin, tilting my head up to look at him. "My friends were the ones who showed me the person I am. I did not find out for myself," he said as he kissed my forehead. "I see traits in you such as intelligence, passion, cleverness. Uncertainty, self-consciousness, those things will not just hinder your ability to become an Animagus, but will keep you from _living_. You've got to be who you are, and love who you are." He looked into my eyes as if he were seeing through my body and straight into my soul. I could feel tears rising.

"Will you help me?" I said wetly as he brought me into a hug. He pressed his face into my hair and nodded as he held me tightly beside the fireplace in the room that helped us grow closer to each other.


	10. Chapter 10

I spent most of the evening by myself, sitting in the common room reading. I started to read _The Encyclopedia of Toadstools_ just to see if it was really as fascinating as Sirius had made it out to be, and not to my surprise, it was not. I picked up _Jiggery Pokery and Hocus Pocus_, but could not concentrate. I wanted to know where the boys went, why they had left in such a rush. What was so urgent about tonight? I spent hours trying to put the puzzle pieces together in my head. Something was definitely happening right before my eyes, and I needed to discover what it was.

'_Sirius said he, James and Peter were all Animagi_,' I thought to myself, biting my bottom lip, '_But Remus is not_.' Remus. That name tinkled a bell in the back of my mind, like I had heard it in a dream. Where did I know that name from? '_Remus Lupin._' My third year Professor's name was Remus Lupin. He missed classes every month. My eyes widened and I shot my head around to look out the window. It was a cloudy evening, but a full moon was glowing large in the sky. '_He's not an Animagus because he's a werewolf_.'

I decided to keep to myself that I had figured out such an enormous secret. Although it did not bother me in the slightest knowing that Remus was a werewolf, I imagined that for him, it was shameful, and the less people that knew, the better. The next morning when the boys showed up to breakfast, I acted as if nothing extraordinary had happened. I said 'hello' to them and carried on a regular conversation, like any other morning. I was enjoying my breakfast with my friends when I felt a pair of eyes watching me. I looked up towards the doors of the Great Hall when I saw a tall, thin black haired wizard stroll in, glaring at me. I recognized him as the man who would be my father. He did not break the stare until Sirius turned around to see who I was looking at. He grabbed my arm to pull my attenion away from the Slytherin table.

"He looks just like I remember his picture in the _Daily Prophet_," I said, clenching my fists underneath the table. Sirius had a concerned look in his eye. "Oh, that's right," I said in a snider tone than I meant to, "I didn't tell you all about what daddy did after he abandoned me." I stabbed my eggs with my forked as Sirius shushed me. I turned around again and saw him sitting beside a petite fair-skinned girl, with hair so blonde it was almost white. She was my mother. He whispered in her ear as they both looked at me with daunting eyes. Sirius grabbed my hand and undid my fists, lacing his fingers with mine.

"Hey, it's alright," he said softly. "Don't pay attention to them." I slammed my fork down onto my plate, and people sitting at the table looked over to see what was the matter. I smiled fakely at them and mouthed 'Sorry' until they all looked away and continued on with their conversations.

I lowered my voice so only Sirius could hear. "How can I not pay attention, knowing what they did." I caught myself. "Or what they're going to do." He squeezed my hand, knowing that the Great Hall was not the best place to carry on such a conversation. I pushed my plate away from me and stood up. "I'll see you in the common room, Sirius," I said giving him a peck on the cheek and exiting the Great Hall. I was half way up the first flight of stairs when I felt a tug on the back of my shirt. I turned around to see no other than Zephyros Horsefeather, towering over me even though I stood a few steps above him. He had thin lips and a pointed nose, and his eyes were completely black, devoid of any readable emotion.

"Hello, cousin," he said mockingly, eyeing me up and down. I did not say anything, for fear that my words would indicate I was indeed trembling. "I have to say that I did not know about you until just recently. Like you popped out of thin air." He made a gesture with his hand like he was conjuring a small object. He looked at me as though he were awaiting a reply.

I hesitated, trying to contain my quivers. "I've been abroad," I said shortly. Zephyros raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Abroad? All this time? What were you doing abroad?" He said as if he were trying to poke holes in my alibi. I threw my shoulder back.

"I have been in Romania," I said, looking him straight in the eye, "training dragons." My lie felt like a thin tower of rocks, ready to tumble down any second. He narrowed his glance at me, like he was trying to peer through my deception. I kept my eyes locked on his, not backing down. "Now, if you'll excuse me," I said as I turned around to head back up the staircase. Then a firm grip wrapped around my arm and pulled me backwards.

"You think you're so damn precious, don't you, filthy Gryffindor?" He hissed in my ear as his fingers dug into my skin. My mind darted back to the day when Draco shoved me into the broom closet. I tried to jerk my arm away, but his grip tightened. "You will ruin this family, blood traitor."

I begged the composure to return to my face as I looked him in the eye. "I would rather be a blood traitor than ever be like you," I hissed back at him, and I spit in his face. He raised his hand to slap me when I wand dug into the back of his neck.

"That's enough, Zephyros," Sirius warned. "Let her go and slither back into your hole." Zephyros let go of my arm as he turned to face him. I felt my own wand as it rested inside the pocket of my sweatshirt.

"Look who it is," Zephyros said sardonically. "Sirius Black, come to save his damsel in distress. How charming." He began to reach slowly for his wand. "Looks like the wench isn't the only one at this party who has soiled her family's name." My ears turned hot as I watched him and Sirius circle each other. I saw a vein grow larger in Sirius's forehead. "Stupe—"

"Expelliarmus!" I whipped my wand around and hit Zephyros straight in the chest. He flew off the stairs and hit the ground, his wand landing a few feet from him. He scrambled for it as I raised my wand again. I flicked my wrist as I walked down the steps toward him. "Stupefy!" He blocked my red stream of light. "Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy!" The last one hit him and he went flying again, landing several feet away on his back. He was on the ground, trying to get up when I stood over him, sticking my wand in his face. I yanked his wand out of his hand and threw it on the ground away from him. He looked like an angry wounded animal. "Don't ever come near me again," I said with a scowl. I turned to walk away.

"Filthy, little-" he muttered. I turned on a dime.

"Reducto!" Zephyros rolled over quickly, barely dodging what looked like a small wrecking ball had collided with the ground where he lay. He scrambled to his feet, picked up his wand, and stormed off in the opposite direction. Sirius had barely moved an inch. "Thank you for coming," I said, trying to calm myself.

"You obviously did not need my help," Sirius said, wrapping his arm around me as we headed up the stairs. Students were beginning to rush to the scene, hoping to see the tail end of the action, but Sirius and I had already made it up a few staircases, and Zephyros was probably half way to the dungeons.

"I would not have been able to get myself out of that without you, though." It felt like electricity was surging through my body. "Damn, that felt good." Sirius laughed. I replayed the last few minutes in my head. My very first encounter I had with my father ended in a duel. I felt proud though. Pride that I had stood up to what I disliked most, not my father, but what he stood for: prejudice, hatred, and power over the weak. I felt my inner animal becoming more defined deep in my chest. I was beginning to find myself, as well as enjoy myself.

The next week came and went, and on Friday afternoon after our last class, I asked Sirius if we could continue with our lessons. He agreed heartily, and we headed to the Room of Requirement before dinner. "Another thing that you need to know about being an Animagus," he began, "is that it is really a soulful experience. You need to be honest with yourself and accept the person you are, or it won't work properly." I nodded my head, thinking about what he had just said. Being honest with myself meant being honest with him. I did not feel free unless Sirius knew my every nook and cranny just as well as he knew Hogwarts. He continued to speak when I interrupted him.

"Sirius," I said quickly, trying to get my thought out before I changed my mind. He looked at me, almost surprised. "I need to tell you something." He took a few steps toward me.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it won't be as shocking as the last secret you told me," he smiled down at me, taking my hands in his. For some reason, I felt that what I was about to tell him was a bigger deal than my time traveling.

"Well, before I came here, to your time, I mean," I said, trying not to stumble over my words, "I was a Slytherin." Sirius furrowed his eyebrows, not fully understanding. I tried to explain further. "My first year, the Sorting Hat sorted me into Slytherin, not Gryffindor. I've only been in Gryffindor since that day I met you." I turned away and sat down in a chair in front of the fireplace, nervous of what Sirius was going to think. He did not say a word. "I did not tell you before because I know how you feel about people in Slytherin, and I did not want you to think I was like them. Dumbledore even said it too, that I'm a Gryffindor at heart." I dropped my head in my hands, not knowing what else to say explaining myself. I stifled a wet sob as Sirius's hands wrapped around my shoulder, and began to massage me. He leaned down to kiss my neck.

"My dear Marilyn," he said soothingly, "your name is the only thing that Slytherin can claim of you. Everything else, your hair, your eyes, your bravery, belongs to Gryffindor." He picked me out of my chair and pulled me close to him as he pressed his lips against mine, a single tear falling onto my cheek.

"I could belong to you too," I whispered against his lips as he ran his hands down my back slowly, lightly. He pulled me into him even closer, to where I could feel his heart beating against my chest. Or was that my heart? It was as if we were melting together in each other's embrace, and even our heartbeats began to match and meld together. "I could be yours, Sirius," I said again desire peppering my words. He released his lips from mine and looked into my eyes, his eyes glittering with passion and flickering from the light of the fire. He brushed my hair to the side and smiled tenderly.

"Be mine, Marilyn," he said sweetly, stroking my face with his fingertips. "I want you beside me always." I rested my head on his shoulder as he took my hand and began to sway side to side. No music played as we danced slowly together, but that particular silence was the sweetest sound I had heard in years.


	11. Chapter 11

The first quidditch game of the season was approaching quickly, and I felt ready. It was against Slytherin. Each time I walked passed their table in the Great Hall at meal times, or walked by someone wearing that sullen, green crest among their robes, it fueled my fire. James could tell that I was chomping at the bit to annihilate them. I had barely eaten more than a plateful the entire week preceding the big game, and I was more energized than ever. As it got closer and closer, I spent my afternoons on the quidditch pitch, flying around in circles, trying to tire myself out so I could fall asleep at night. I realized that I was not the only one who was revved up. The entire Gryffindor common room buzzed with excitement as the game drew nearer.

I woke early on that Saturday morning, eager to hop on my broom and fly circles around the Slytherins, as I bragged I could do my first night of this new time. I was pleasantly surprised when I found a sleepy-eyed Sirius traipsing down the staircase opposite me as I traveled down to the common room.

"Good morning!" I said, a smile plastered across my face as I jumped off the third stair. Sirius yawned and gave me a tiny wave. "What are you doing up this early?" I asked him, broom in hand. He gave a small chuckle.

"James knew you would be up this early and asked me to beg you to have some breakfast before you go out on the pitch," he said with a smirk which turned into another large yawn. I groaned, previously having zero intention of having breakfast before the biggest game of the year. "Come on, you need your strength," he said as he looped his arm around mine and ushered me out the portrait hole.

"I have plenty of strength! I need to be light on my feet!" I argued, knowing full well that I was no going to get out of this. Sirius gave me a sideways glance, implying that it was too early for him to attempt to argue with me. I threw my hands up in mock exasperation. "Fine, I'll eat," I said as I heard a small sigh of relief coming from Sirius, "But I'm not doing it for James!"

Upon entering the Great Hall, I noticed spots of sun peeking in through the windows and peppering the long oak tables with specks of light. The ceiling was a bright blue with clouds floating above that were formed into shapes. I immediately noticed one that was in the shape of an acid pop, definitely a work of Dumbledore. There were others shaped like teacups and brooms, and I even saw a golden snitch amongst the figures hovering above. All of the tables were virtually empty, except for the Slytherin table. It appeared that the entire quidditch team was conspiring over their plates of hot cakes and bacon. They all looked very serious and had their heads low as they spoke to each other, as if someone was really trying to listen to their tactic planning. Sirius and I sat down at the far end of the Great Hall, farthest away from the Slytherins as possible. A few of them shot glances our way, trying to appear as threatening as possible, but I pretended to be too enthralled in by raisin bread to notice.

"Aren't you going to eat something?" I asked Sirius, noticing he had just a teacup in his hand.

"It's too early for me to eat," he said as he poured milk into his tea. "We came down here for you, not me." He winked at me as he stirred cream into his cup. I was jerked out of his gaze when I heard the Slytherins loudly getting up from their pregame huddle. I turned around to watch them leave and noticed a familiar face glaring at me from the midst of the group. I held eye contact until they all exited the Great Hall before I turned frantically to face Sirius.

"You didn't tell me Zephyros was on the Slytherin team," I barked at him, sounding much meaner than I had intended. Sirius looked startled. I put my forehead in my hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to." My stomach did a somersault into my chest. Did I really think that duel I had in the middle of the corridor would be the last I would face of him? That was not the end of something between Zephyros Horsefeather and me; it was the beginning of something.

I had already lost my appetite when I saw James and the others enter the Great Hall. They all looked energized and eager, much like I felt before I laid eyes on my father's quidditch robes. Sirius grabbed my hand. "Don't be afraid of him," he said calmly, his brown eyes as smooth as glass. "You showed him once that you are not to be messed with."

"But I had you there with me," I said softly. My stomach was still tied in knots.

"I wasn't the one who knocked him on his ass and frightened him half to death!" He smiled. I opened my mouth to protest. "And he was frightened! I'm surprised he did not wee his pants like a little pup!" A small smile crept along my lips as he squeezed my hand tight. "I'll still be there with you. And I'll have my hand on my wand the whole time if he tries anything snaky." He narrowed his eyes playfully as the knots slowly came undone in my stomach. James made his way over to us, followed by the rest of the team.

"I see you have eaten breakfast, Marilyn" he said cheerfully. "Good work, Padfoot!"

"It was definitely a struggle, Prongs, but in the end, I always win," Sirius said with a smirk which I was all too familiar with.

"Well, maybe we can channel your winnings on the field today. We'll need it." James stuffed a forkful of French toast in his mouth as I convinced myself that I was not going to be afraid to face my father a second time.

Brooms in hand, we trudged out onto the field. The sun was bright against the sky, and unlike in the Great Hall, there were no clouds to shade us from its yellow glare. I squinted as we all mounted our brooms in the middle of the pitch. Zephyros was hovering diagonally from me, staring at me as he toyed with his beater's club. I did not return his gaze, and I did not let the composure leave my face as I waited for the whistle to blow and the quaffle to be released into the air. I heard Madam Hooch carrying on about a 'nice, clean game,' and then she released the bludgers from their hold in the trunk. One of them zoomed right past my head, but I did not flinch one muscle. Then the snitch was released, its distinct buzzing sound could have possibly been mistaken for a mosquito flying around your ear. Then the whistle. Then the quaffle, and I was racing toward James as he grabbed it out of the air and headed toward the goal posts. The Slytherin chasers rammed up against him, hoping he would drop the ball. I flew next to him, keeping myself open to receive the pass. Almost to the goal post, another chaser kicked the back of James's broom and the quaffle flew out of his arms. I snatched it out of the air and hammered it past the keeper.

"Ten points for Gryffindor!" The announcer's voice echoed loudly over the cheering of the crowd. James clapped me on the shoulder as he flew past. Below me, I could already see the two seekers pursuing the snitch. They were looping around the field, doing barrel-rolls and trying to knock the other off his broom. I silently begged our seeker to catch the snitch quickly, so the game would be over and I could get away from Zephyros.

The quaffle was in play once again. A Slytherin girl had it under her arm as she zoomed toward the other end of the field. James wasn't far behind her. I saw Zephyros bring back his club and beat a bludger straight at James's head.

"Watch it, James!" I yelled from the side of him. James tucked his head and rolled over on his broom, the bludger missing him by a hair. I flew ahead as the Slytherin chaser was throwing the quaffle to the goal post. She released the quaffle and I intercepted it, turning on a dime toward the other end of the field. James flew beside me as the other Gryffindor chaser flew above me, fending off the Slytherins trying to obtain the quaffle. Half way to the goal posts, I heard the crack of a bat, and then a crack of my ribs. I released the quaffle from my arms and James seized it and raced to the goal. I held my chest as another bludger came barreling into my arm, causing a distinct snapping sound. There was no doubt my arm was broken. I could no longer hold on to my broom.

"Another ten points for Gryffindor! And Belby has caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins!" The announcer cried as cheering and applause erupted from the stands. Pain shot through my body as I let go of my broom and began to fall. I felt my head hit the ground as I plummeted to the earth, and then everything went black. The last thing I remembered about that morning was Gryffindor winning the match.

I woke up with a dull headache. I tried to sit up, but my ribs were still sore from being shattered. I winced as I adjusted myself in the bed. For a moment, I opened my eyes and thought it had all been a dream. Had Draco finally kicked me so hard that I was sent to the hospital wing? Then I noticed my broom propped up against the end of the bed and all the assorted candies and chocolates resting on the window sill. I looked around and noticed I was not the only one in the hospital wing. There was another person on the other end in green robes, sporting a bloody face and what appeared to be antlers.

"You're awake!" I heard someone say as they entered the large room. James and the rest of the team trudged over to me, still in their quidditch attire. "It's about time. It's nearly dinner time!" He said, taking a seat beside me and grabbing a box of chocolates from the window. He offered me on before popping one into his mouth but I refused.

"Where's Sirius?" I asked as I felt the tender lump on the back of my head. James looked over at the other occupied bed and sighed. I followed his gaze. Madam Pomfrey was tending to the student's antlers with what looked like a hand saw.

"Sirius is with McGonagall," he said, adverting his eyes from the deantlering of the other student. "He messed Zephyros up pretty bad." My eyes widened. I did not recognize him since his face was so bloodied up and broken. "He's got late night detentions all week, so don't expect to be seeing much of him." I did not fully understand. Why had Sirius done that to Zephyros?

"Tell me what happened, James," I said, wanting to know exactly what happened between the time I blacked out on the field and woke up in the hospital bed.

"Zephyros beat both of those bludgers toward you during the game, which is not against the rules. That's what bludgers are for after all," he began, trying to sound as fair as possible. "The second one was a bit uncalled for, I must say. After the game ended and you were on the ground, Sirius ran up to you and Zephyros walked up with this evil smirk on his face. Then he said something to Sirius and spat on you while you were down. Then he sort of kicked you as he walked off." I distorted my face when I heard how he took advantage of my weakness while I was unconscious. It sickened me. I swallowed the lump in my throat before I spoke.

"So how did he end up," I said, pointing over to his bed as Madam Pomfrey removed the last of the calcified antlers, "like that?"

James made a low whistling sound and looked over at Zephyros. "Sirius grabbed him as he walked away and punched him in the face a couple of times. Then he hexed him and gave him antlers. I have never seen him so angry in my life." James popped another chocolate in his mouth as he sat back in his chair.

"I need to go find Sirius," I said as I got out of the bed slowly, my entire body aching. Madam Pomfrey hurried over to my bed.

"My dear, you can't leave! You're not well enough!" She said, trying to get me to lay back into the bed.

"Are my bones mended?" I asked impatiently.

"Well, yes dear, but you will be sore for another—" I darted out of the bed and ignored the pain that was shooting through me.

"Then I'll be fine," I said as I hobbled toward the door, James and the rest of the team following me out of the hospital wing. "Thank you for mending me, Madam Pomfrey!" I called to her quickly, a hint of fake sweetness trickling from my words. James had to help steady me as I lumbered through the corridors and toward Professor McGonagall's office.


	12. Chapter 12

I hobbled through the corridors with James's arm tucked beneath my arm pit, doing his best to keep me from crumbling under the soreness I felt. The quidditch team followed us for a while, but then decided it was best that they all huddled in the common room instead of joining us on our quest to McGonagall's office. The walked was quiet for the most part, apart from my occasional whimper. I felt that the silence between us made James somewhat uncomfortable.

"So," he began, trying to break up the quietness with meaningless conversation, "you trained dragons?" I wrinkled my forehead and almost said 'What?' like I had no idea of what he was talking about. But then I remembered, that was my story I told whoever came asking, but I didn't recall ever telling James.

"Who told you that?" I asked. He shrugged.

"It's just what everyone is saying. It's quite impressive actually," he said raising his eyebrows, a hint of disbelief in his voice. I could tell he was trying to weasel the truth out of me. I was surprised he did not already know the truth. He and Sirius were best friends after all, and I imagined they gossiped worse than a couple of twelve-year-old girls. I had honestly assumed that Sirius had divulged my secret to him, but then it occurred to me. My secret was not his to tell.

"Well that is far from the truth," I said calmly, not anxious about disclosing who I was to one of my best friends. James chuckled and waited for me to tell him the real story about my arrival.

We approached McGonagall's office at the tail end of my saga. James nodded, but then looked at me, puzzled. "The Room of Requirement?" He asked as he furrowed his brow. I laughed. He was just like Sirius.

We walked in and McGonagall was sitting behind her desk grading essays with Sirius beside her writing lines, his face inches away from the paper. She looked up quickly, her reading glasses perched at the very tip of her nose. She placed her quill down gently and touched Sirius on the shoulder, pulling his attention away from his prescribed punishment.

"Mr. Black, I think that will be enough for today. You may go," She said, her face stony and unflinching. Sirius got up and walked toward us, giving me a kiss on the cheek. He grabbed my hand as he headed toward the exit, but I pulled away from him.

"I need to talk to the professor, if you don't mind," I said meekly. Sirius nodded.

"We'll wait for you," he said, and he and James turned the corner out of sight. Professor McGonagall took her glasses from her face and placed them neatly on her desk. She clasped her hands together and looked at me.

"Would you like to have a seat, Miss Horsefeather?" She inquired sweetly.

"Standing is fine, thank you," I said, not wanting to cause my body too much strain by sitting down and then standing up again. The soreness did not bother me as long as I stood still.

"How are you feeling? You had a nasty fall."

"It wasn't the fall that hurt the most," I said, rubbing my ribs. And indeed it wasn't. The physical bruises were not what pained me the most. It was the fact that Zephyros had won that battle, and even though he was in the hospital wing with a broken face and antler stumps, he wiped his filthy feet on my dignity and landed my boyfriend in a week's worth of detention. "I need to talk to you about something, Professor." McGonagall pursed her lips. "It's about Zephyros Horsefeather, the boy that Sirius—" I cut myself off.

"Yes, I know of Zephyros. One of your relatives, I presume?" I was having a hard time trying to figure out how to explain the situation to her.

"Yes, we are related," I said, fidgeting with the seam of my shirt. I decided to just say it. "He's my father." I expected McGonagall to have a surprised look on her face or fall out of her chair. It seemed remarkable to me, but her appearance told me otherwise.

"I'm afraid I expected this," she said coolly. "He doesn't know about your—" she hesitated for a moment, "_condition_?" I shook my head. She breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well let's try and keep it that way. Who knows what repercussions may follow if he, or any other Slytherins for that matter, know exactly who you are. I suppose your dragon training alibi will work nicely to keep those of questionable trustworthiness in the dark." She picked up her reading glasses and placed them at the end of her nose. "Is that all, Miss Horsefeather?" she said as she picked up her quill and began to rifle through the papers on her desk, trying to find the spot where she left off. I bit my lip.

"Well, about Sirius," I said hesitantly. She peered at me from the top of her glasses. "A whole week's worth of detention? He was only defending me. Zephyros said some really nasty things," I said, trying to build a defense. I hadn't actually known the things Zephyros had said to Sirius, but if it came out of that filthy mouth, it most likely was not kind. "He egged him on, Professor." McGonagall put her quill down once more.

"That does not give him the right to attack another student and," she paused in order to find the right combination of words, "_alter his appearance_. I am sorry if you think I am too harsh, but the punishment stands. Every night this week, no exceptions."

I began to protest. "What about Zephyros? He deserves a punishment too!" Although having everyone at the match see your face bloodied up and antlers spurt from your head may have been punishment enough. McGonagall breathed in deeply, trying to keep her temper from boiling over.

"I do not have grounds to punish a Slytherin student. That responsibility lies with the Slytherin Head of House. If you wish, you may consult Professor Slughorn on the matter, but I cannot do anything outside of the Gryfinndor house." She turned her attention back to the papers. "Is there anything else?" She asked, trying not to sound impatient.

"No, Professor," I mumbled, and I turned to walk out of the classroom.

James and Sirius were waiting right outside of the classroom, laughing and joking. A scowl was plastered upon my face as the soreness returned to my body. Sirius grabbed my arm as we walked toward the Great Hall for dinner.

"Don't look so sour," he said cheerfully. "You don't have to spend every night in detention." I might as well have. A night spent without Sirius was boring and lonely. It was as if he had read my mind. "You won't be lonely. James, Remus, and Peter will keep you company," he said as he nearly skipped down the corridor. "I'm just glad to be out of there for the evening. I'm starving!"

Most of the evening meal was spent with the four boys reminiscing about jokes past, and I scooted food along my plate with a fork, not as hungry as I usually was. The one good thing about dinner was that the pair of eyes that normally rested upon me from the Slytherin table was absent. Sirius noticed that my mood was sullen and he came close to whisper in my ear.

"How about a late night lesson?" He said suggestively with a wink. A smile crept across my face as I imagined being alone with him in the Room of Requirement again. It had become my new favorite place in the whole castle. Sirius knew exactly how to lift my dampened spirits.

We entered the common room to a chaotic scene. Loud music was blaring from every corner and the fireplace was surrounded by Gryffindors drinking butterbeer and eating assorted candies and snacks. We walked into the group and many people hovered around James and me, congratulating us and patting us on the back. The soreness in my body had mostly dissipated, but the multiple congratulatory slaps I received still made me wince.

"That was a bloody good game you played, Horsefeather!" One boy said, probably a fourth year.

"Yeah!" Another one joined in. "You were flying circles around those daft Slytherins!" I felt pride well up inside me. People came up to me in the common room I had never met before, and they were happy to be around me. It was a feeling I had never had the pleasure of experiencing.

"Have a butterbeer!" A girl from my own year shoved a mug into my hands. It was Lily and her smile nearly lit up the whole room. I felt James tense up beside me. I looked at him as I raised the glass to my lips. He was staring at Lily. I nudged him out of his stupor.

"Go talk to her!" I said, elbowing him in her direction as she talked to a few friends. He shook his head.

"She can't stand me," he said, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"Just go do it!" I pushed him hard and he stumbled over to her. I saw her face harden as he approached her. He began to speak and then Lily walked off, steaming. I felt bad for him as he looked over at me. Then Sirius clapped him on the back and poured something in his mug with a very secretive look in his eye and handed it to James. James's face lit up as he took a big swig of the glass. I knew immediately what Sirius was up to. I walked over to him with my hands on my hips.

"You're going to get us all in trouble!" I said, snatching the bottle of firewhiskey from his grip.

"Relax, Marilyn," he said in a cool tone. "Nobody will find out if nobody says anything. Plus, I'm saving the rest of this for later," he said with a wink as he slipped it back into his jacket pocket. I couldn't help but smile. He was so coy and attractive. The party in the common room lasted late into the night. People were still up drinking butterbeer and singing badly to the music that was playing past midnight. Some had long since gone to bed, but there was still more than enough people in the common room to keep the party going. James trotted up to Sirius and me sleepily, bidding us goodnight as he yawned. He headed up the steps to the boys dormitories and Sirius grabbed my hand and pulled me to the portrait hole. I had not forgotten about his promise of a late night lesson.

The halls were quiet as we sneaked through the silence, occasionally tiptoeing past a couple snogging in an abandoned corner. We reached the whimsical tapestry on the seventh floor and before I could even think of an ideal room for our night's work, a door had already conjured itself before me. Sirius smiled and reached for the handle, which looked different than it had the previous times we came. It was in the shape of two birds, which faced each other as they held some sort of branch in their mouths. It was quite pretty, but why had it changed from the giant silver knocker that I was accustomed to? Sirius swung the door open and I recognized that this was not the same room we held our lessons in.

"Sirius, you dog!" I said playfully. The ceiling, much like our first visit to the room, was bewitched to look like the night sky, and beneath me feet was smooth sand.

"Have you ever been to the beach before?" He asked as he took off his shoes and let sand seep between his toes. I shook my head and did the same. There was water rippling against the sand a few yards ahead of us and I ran toward it, letting it wash over my feet. It was an amazing feeling. I felt free.

"I had a feeling you did not really mean a late night lesson," I said as he joined me in the water. He grabbed my waste and pulled me into him, smiling against my lips.

"This will be the last real night we'll have together for a while," he said. "I would like to make it a good one." He kissed me softly as he held me close to him. The sound of the water crashing against our ankles was soothing as we spent another night under the starlight in each other's embraces.


	13. Chapter 13

My heart ached as the weekend drew to a close. I would not see Sirius much outside of lessons, and I had to think of ways to substitute my evenings, since I would not be able to spend them sneaking around the castle or playing intimate games of wizard's chess with him by the firelight. I spent most of my time with the other three boys, nagging at James and Peter to get their homework done as Remus and I finished our last foot of our potions essay. Instead of heeding my intimidating stares, James and Peter slunk down beside us on the sofas and procured a deck of cards between them.

"Exploding snap!" James said excitedly, as if this was not something they played nearly every night. He took the cards and began to pass them to Peter, who had a mousy grin on his face. "Should I deal you in?" He looked over at Remus and me, a hopeful look in his eye that we would oblige his invitation and spend the evening playing cards. Remus shook his head as he stood up, the firelight bathing his back, and covering me in his fragile shadow.

"I'm going to head to the library," he said as he stuffed his parchment in quills into his bag and tossed it over his shoulder. James gave a playful scoff.

"Come on, Moony, you've already finished all the homework for the next two weeks!" He said with a pleading look. Remus shook his head and smiled.

"I've still got a four foot essay on the properties and misuses of monkshood due to Slughorn tomorrow," he said, giving me a small wink. James lowered his head, disappointed that he failed to lure us into his evening of playing cards. I shot off of the couch after Remus.

"Mind if I come? I'm behind on that essay as well." He nodded and we headed out of the portrait hole toward the library. As we walked through the corridor, I gave a small chuckle. "I'm sure it wasn't necessary for you to lie to him, Remus," I said. James got an 'Acceptable' mark on his O.W.L. and Professor Slughorn only accepted student who got at least 'Exceeds Expectations' into his N.E.W.T. potions class. James was unaware that the essay Remus had not yet written was indeed unassigned. But something that he had said set off an alarm in my head and I intended to research it more when we got into the library.

I scanned every shelf for something I had read before called 'Innovative and Ingenious Wizarding Discoveries of the Twentieth Century.' After running me eyes over every spine of every book in the library and not finding it, I decided to open a very old looking book simply entitled 'Guide to Potion Making.' I found Remus sitting in a comfy armchair in a corner, reading a book about dragon breeding. I plopped down beside him and started flipping pages like mad, my mind running in circles. I stopped to read after nearly ripping half the pages I turned. 'Monkshood, also known by the names aconite and wolfsbane, is a plant bearing magical properties, its root used in many potions. A member of the buttercup family, its leaves a highly toxic…' I shot a look at Remus and distorted my face, trying to remember what I had read just a few months ago. I tried to transport myself back.

Sunshine was spilling onto the stone floor of the library, warming my ankles as I walked through it, searching for an interesting read as I ran my fingers along the dust covering the shelves of the book cases. I could hear a familiar, snide voice entering the library, one that shot a nervous bolt through my stomach. I grabbed a book and retreated to the far end of the room, making myself small as I curled up behind a book case, nearly out of sight to the rest of the library. Confident that Draco Malfoy was unaware of my hiding spot, I opened the book and began to read, disappearing into my nonabusive, safe world of pages and words. I read about discoveries in uses of Shield Charms and many innovations in herbology. Then I came across a potion: Wolfsbane potion. '…minimizes the effects of lycanthropy. In other words, a werewolf will not lose hos or her mind or judgment after transformation.' I immediately thought of Professor Lupin, my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher three years ago. Had he known there was a potion that would keep him sane during his 'time of the month?' The recipe was on the following page. It looked very complex, but I had not scored an 'Outstanding' on my O.W.L. for not having already mastered complicated potions. I studied it, hoping I would retain it, just in case the need for it came along.

"Remus?" I said frantically, recalling the ingredients and instructions in my head. He ripped away from his book and gave me a puzzled look. "May I borrow a quill and parchment, please?" I tried not to sound too panicky, not wanting him to know what I was planning. He handed me the supplies without question as I attempted to write down the recipe for Wolfsbane Potion word for word. When I finished the last line (Stir fifteen times clockwise until grey smoke turns blue, then let cool for forty-eight hours), I smiled and gave a small giggle, excited that I had remembered it. Remus looked up again.

"What's so exciting?" He said, trying to take a peek at my paper as I folded it up and stuck it inside my robes. He looked a bit disappointed that I did not want him to see. He was already halfway through his book. I looked outside and the half moon was high in the sky. It was nearing midnight.

"You'll see," I said, still smiling widely as I stood up. I felt so exhilarated that I gave him a quick peck on the cheek as I strolled off out of the library. I was eager to start on the potion right away, but the promise of early lessons the next day made my Monday night a sleepy one.

I saw Sirius the next afternoon in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He looked tired, but greeted my cheerfully through a yawn. "Hey there, beautiful," he said as we sat down at our usual table. I smiled at him and gave him a quick peck.

"I have something very important to discuss with you," I said quietly as the room started to quiet down, the day's lesson beginning with the professor welcoming the class. Sirius gave me a look of surprise. "It's about Remus." He stared in front of him, his eyes widening. I knew he could tell where this was going. "I know, Sirius. I know about his," I paused, lowering my head and my voice so barely even he could hear me, "_condition_." He placed his fist under his chin, his jaw tightening. He did not say anything for a moment.

"Condition?" he whispered, suddenly changing his expression as if he had no idea what I was referring to. He still kept his gaze forward. I did not want to utter the words in a class room full of people who could possibly overhear. I pulled out a piece of paper and drew a moon and stars on it, pointing to the fact that the moon was full. Sirius sighed heavily, tightening his jaw again. His face looked very stony as he tried not to look at me.

"Sirius, I know that—"

"How did you find out? Did you follow us? Eavesdrop on our conversations?" He snapped at me. I nearly jumped at his accusations. I just shook my head.

"No no no," I said, trying to calm him down. "It's nothing like that," I tried to explain.

"I expect you think he's vile now, right? A half-breed learning amongst the rest of us _normal_ people?" He had a disgusted look on his face.

"No, Sirius. That's not what I'm trying to say!"

"You probably feel _unsafe_ with him sleeping just a few feet away from you, right?"

"That's not true!" I said, our tones growing a little bit louder, drawing the attention of a few people sitting near us. Sirius looked around at the others who were looking at us. He lowered his voice again.

"If you don't want to be in Gryffindor because a werewolf is always around, then how about you join daddy dearest in the dungeons?" My mouth hung open. I could not believe Sirius was acting this way.

"Is there a problem, Miss Horsefeather? Mister Black?" called the professor from the front of the class, as he brandished his wand as if he were just about to demonstrate a spell. Sirius gazed forward again, his forehead furrowed in anger. My eyes welled up with tears.

"Yes sir, I'm feeling a bit ill," I said wetly, realizing the color had probably already gone from my face. "May I be excused, please?" The professor nodded and continued on with his demonstration as I scooped up my books and ran from the room, barely hiding the tears now dripping from my eyes.

I headed for the seventh floor, deciding that I did not need Sirius's help or support in making this potion. The full moon was a week and a half away, just enough to time to make the Wolfsbane potion and give it to Remus. My face burned as I walked past the bare wall, aching to hear the door conjure itself. When it did, it was nothing more than a small door, with a wooden handle. It looked no different from the doors to the broom closets around the castle. I opened it up and found that it opened into a small room, its walls lined with shelves which were covered in glass phials and jars filled with different ingredients. In the middle of the room was a copper cauldron sitting on top of what looked like a small stove. 'This is exactly what I need,' I said as I pulled the hand written recipe out of my bag and began to pull ingredients off the shelves. The Room of Requirement had amazed me once more.

I spent the majority of the weeknights tending to the potion. Sirius refused to talk to me in class, but I knew he would come around once he understood what I was trying to do for one of his best friends. It took until Thursday for the potion to be complete. Blue smoke billowed from the top of the cauldron as I filled numerous phials with the thick liquid. I stuffed my bag to the brim and headed back to the common room, excited to give Remus his first dose of what could be the very thing that changed his life. I found him sitting in the common room writing an essay. Luckily, hardly anyone was around to witness me giving him some unknown potion that could very well kill him.

"Remus," I said meekly as I strode over to him. He looked up, his face very much pale as the full moon drew closer. "Will you do me a huge favor?" I said, trying to come up with something that would no suggest anything about his being a werewolf, or my knowing about it. He nodded hesitantly as I pulled out a phial of a dark, thick liquid. "This is something I came up with," I hesitated, "for extra credit for Slughorn." Remus looked skeptical. "That last Draught of Living Death really brought my grade down." He took the potion from my hand and started examining it in the light.

"What exactly is this?" he asked as he unstoppered it and smell it.

"It's a type of brain elixir," I lied, thinking this was the most believable story I could come up with. "It's supposed to boost your cognitive function." Remus still looked skeptical as I bounced on my toes.

"I know about these. I haven't seen one like this before," he said skeptically, looking at me as though I was trying to give him poison.

"I came up with it myself. It's obviously not very strong, so it has to be taken over a week's time. That's when you'll notice a real change!" I said smiling. "So will you take it so I can observe you and take notes and such?" Remus smelled the potion again, making sure he did not smell anything toxic within it. The he nodded his head. I lunged at him and hugged him. "I promise you won't regret it!" I said as he emptied the phial in his mouth and scrunched his face in utter distaste.


	14. Chapter 14

The weekend went by in silence as I caught up on the week's homework by the firelight. Sirius still had detention with McGonagall each evening, so the common room remained much more quiet and dull than usual. He was still not being very cordial toward me, but during meal times he at least pretended that he was not upset, so not to let James and Remus know about our fight earlier in the week. Although, by their expressions whenever he left the table and gave me a quick, half-hearted peck on the cheek, they knew something was not right in paradise. Each time they gave me worried looks, I just shrugged and went back to my half-eaten plate of food, trying not to look bothered.

Remus took his last phial of potion on Friday morning. His face was completely drained of color and darkness circled his eyes. The full moon was tonight, and I was praying that my efforts would be successful. He scrunched his face as he swallowed the last of the thick liquid down and smiled at me through his gaunt-looking expression.

"I know this sounds silly," he said, handing me the empty phial, "but I feel pretty good! I think you may have made more of a physical tonic than a brain tonic there, Marilyn." My hopes soared as he said this. Usually around this time, he was achy and fatigued, and moved very slowly and aimlessly around the castle. But even though he might have looked half-dead, he had a certain spring in his step as we walked down the corridors to the dungeons for our last Potions lesson of the week.

"I'm glad it makes you feel well, Remus. Now, let's see if you do extra extraordinary on your quiz this morning," I said, knowing full well that he would make excellent marks anyway, with or without a fake brain tonic.

The sun was setting earlier and earlier as winter set in. Remus and the others were already gone when I returned from the library to pick up a quick read. I saw the moon rising in the sky as I ripped on my jeans and scurried out of the portrait hole and out of the castle. The air was chilly as I approached the Womping Willow. I had seen them all go through a small hole by its trunk the last full moon, but hadn't known where it led. I whispered 'Immobulus' and the tree which was waving its branches back in forth suddenly froze in place, making it look, for once, like an ordinary tree. I crept into the hole and crawled down until it became a tunnel tall enough for me to stand in. I lit my wand and tiptoed cautiously down the mossy underground passage. A few minutes of walking under the quiet earth, I heard something bounding toward me. It was a giant black dog. He gnarled the sleeve of my jacket in his teeth and began to pull toward the way I came, out of the tunnel.

"Sirius, stop!" I tried to pull away from his bite. He gave a low growl and pulled harder, nearly ripping my sleeve. "I need to see Remus! He won't hurt me!" I said loudly, but the dog was too strong for me to over power. Then I heard more animal like footsteps. A giant stag burst into view, trying to hold back what looked like a monster standing on its hind legs. Its snout was long and pointed, and sniffed the air as it showed its large teeth. The stag prodded it in the belly with its giant antlers and the beast made a tiny yelp. The dog pulled me even harder, and made whimpering sounds like he was pleading with me to stop resisting. The chilly air hit my face as he dragged me through the hole. Then he was no longer a dog, but a human again.

"What the hell are you thinking?" He barked at me. "Why did you come down here? You know how dangerous he is on nights like this!" He pointed up to the sky and the moon was full and glowed yellow. Then his eyes began to burn. "Did you come here to make fun of him? So you could show all of your Slytherin friends what a monster he is?" I was out of breath as I began to speak, but then a low creak came from behind us. The Womping Willow was active once again. A giant limb slammed down between Sirius and me, leaving a massive impression in the earth. I covered my head as Sirius ducked away, trying to escape its flying branches. I scrambled for my wand in the nearby grass, as I dropped it on the way out of the tunnel. Branches were zooming by my head and I saw Sirius running around the tree, dodging left and right as the Womping Willow hammered all around him. Just as I found my wand beside me, Sirius was hit in the stomach by a large limb and flung several yards backward. He lay on the ground, holding his ribs.

"Immobulus!" I yelled, the Womping Willow freezing once more. I ran over to Sirius, his face was distorted in pain. I knelt down beside him. "Are you okay?" I said, quite frantically. It was my fault he had been injured. He nodded with a great effort as he tried to sit up.

"I definitely broke something," he said as he stood up, still holding his ribs. He looked toward the hole in the tree and noticed two large furry things emerging. "You need to get back into the castle right now, Marilyn." He tried pushing me up the hill.

"Sirius, wait. I don't think he's dangerous," I said, watching as the stag struggled to push the beast back down into the tunnel. Sirius gave me a skeptical look, but my eyes pleaded with him to believe me.

"Why don't you think he's dangerous?" he said with more seriousness in his voice than I was used to.

"I gave him something. Just please trust me." Sirius, still looking doubtful, nodded his head.

"You stay here," he said as he walked slowly over. The stag looked over and made a snorting sound, warning Sirius not to come over without being in his Animagus form. Sirius made a calming gesture and looked Remus in the eyes.

"Remus," he said softly, "it's me. It's Sirius." Remus sniffed the air for a second and whimpered as he tiptoed past James, whose expression, even as a stag, was of utter disbelief. Sirius held out his hand with a smile, inviting Remus to shake. He took his hand and then bounded around them, excited that he was no longer a danger to them. Sirius began to laugh and beckoned me down to where they were. "What on earth did you do?" He said as he brought me into a hug.

"I'll tell you once we get back into the tunnel. Just because he's not dangerous doesn't mean somebody won't still see him," I said as I pulled them all back into the hole under the tree.

I sat down in a chair that billowed up with dust, its upholstery torn into tatters. Although it was creaky and very grimy, I found that the Shrieking Shack had a touch of hominess. They were all now in their human forms, even Peter, who had been hiding in the grass during the whole scene.

"Sorry we don't have any butter beers or anything up here," James said as he leaned up against a towering armoire. "We don't have much use for refreshments when we don't have thumbs." I giggled at him, perfectly content to just be in their company. "So how did you do it?" He asked, curiosity dripping from his mouth. Remus came closer. I cleared my throat.

"Well," I began, "there was a potion that was discovered _sometime,_ called Wolfsbane Potion, and I read about it before. I remembered the recipe and made it last week. Remus has been taking the regimen all week." Remus looked up in confusion. "That wasn't a brain tonic I was giving you," I explained.

"I have never heard of that potion," Peter squeaked, quite incredulously.

"She's from the future, Wormtail," Sirius said blandly, as if it was no longer big news. Peter's eyes widened as he mouthed 'the future' with an unbelieving look on his face.

I looked over at Sirius. The stern look he had been wearing all week had suddenly melted into a soft, admiring gaze. "This is what I was trying to tell you," I said to him, knowing that he finally understood my intentions.

"I see that now," he said gently as he strolled over to me. "I am so sorry for the way that I acted and the horrible things I said. I should have listened to what you were trying to say. I should have known that you aren't the type of person," he paused and looked into my eyes, prayerful for me to forgive him. I smiled and sunk into his hand as he brushed my cheek. "I admire you so much for what you did for Remus. Like a true Gryffindor." He took my hand in his and kissed my palm lovingly. I could feel my face getting hot as I blushed. He kissed my cheek and traveled to my lips, then whispered softly so only I could hear "I love you." My heart pounded a few times, but then slowed as he gazed longingly into my eyes, begging me to say it back.

"I love you, Sirius Black." I whispered back. We were suddenly ripped away from our small, intimate world by James annoyingly clearing his throat.

"It's all so lovely that you two have made up, but it's starting to make me feel nauseous," James said, watching us as he still leaned against the armoire, his eyebrows raised. My face blushed again as I reached into the pocket of my jacket and pulled out a small box of playing cards. I saw James's eyes light up.

"Exploding Snap!" I said excitedly, mocking James's eagerness whenever he asked us to play. We all sat on the floor in a small circle and played one of our favorite games until the sun peaked over the hills and peppered the dusty floor of the Shrieking Shack in specks of welcomed sunshine.


	15. Chapter 15

Snow began to fall as the term was drawing to a close. Baubles hung from every inch of the castle and tinsel draped the walls of every classroom. The air smelled like pine and cinnamon as the Christmas holidays peaked around the corner. We all had breakfast in the Great Hall beneath the giant Christmas tree that towered over us, glittering with silver ornaments and thousands of twinkling lights and candles.

I had not had a decent Christmas holiday since my grandmother died my third year. The house was always warm and cozy, but during the holidays, it seemed even more so. A pie was always baking in the oven, it seemed, filling the whole house with a spicy scent. We decorated the Christmas tree together each year, and each decoration had a story of its own. One of my particular favorite ornaments was a hippogriff with a Santa hat perched sloppily on its head, its wings with teeth marks bore in them. It was given to me on my third Christmas, and I loved it so much I carried it around in my mouth instead of putting it on the tree. Presents were never in short supply either. I nearly always got loads of candies and sweets: Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizbees, Pumpkin Pasties. My grandmother would sit by the fire on Christmas night, reading a book and sharing the sweets that Santa had brought. It was the happiest time of my life.

An owl flew in through one of the arched windows which barely began to show any sunlight peeking through. It was a small pygmy owl, which landed on the table in front of me and shook the snow from its feathers, then stuck out its foot to hand me a small bit of rolled up parchment. He tweeted and nibbled my finger before flying away out the window and back into the snowy morning. The boys looked interested as I unrolled the paper and began to read silently.

'Miss Horsefeather, I would like to have a word with you in my office, eight o'clock sharp. The password is pepper imp. Dumbledore.'

I looked at my watch and noticed it was ten minutes until eight. I shoveled a last heaping spoonful of egg into my mouth and pecked Sirius on the cheek. "I have to go see Dumbledore," I said as I stood from the table.

"What for?" called Sirius. I just shrugged, not knowing what Dumbledore had wanted, since his note did not give any detail whatsoever. I waved and scurried out of the Great Hall, running right through a group of caroling ghosts.

"Watch it, there, girl!" One of them said, sounding offended that I had interrupted their rendition of 'Oh Rest, Ye Merry Gentlemen.' I reached the moving staircase which was blocked by a giant stone gargoyle. I looked at my watch again. One minute until eight. I said the password and the gargoyle began to turn, revealing a swirling staircase.

"You wished to see me, Professor?" I said meekly as I entered his office. He was seated behind his desk with his hands clasped together, rolling something around in his mouth that I believed to be a sweet from his gold tin. He nodded at me to sit across from him in a chair that had just procured itself in front of him. He swallowed the candy and smiled at me.

"Good morning, Miss Horsefeather," he said calmly. "I hope I am finding you well." He had a certain twinkle in his eye. I hummed in acknowledgement and waited for him to continue speaking.

"It has come to my attention, that a couple of weeks ago, you gave Mister Remus Lupin a Wolfsbane Potion. Is that correct?" I nodded slowly, wondering how he ever found out. He gave a small chuckle. "I assure you, Miss Horsefeather, that I did not call you to my office to discuss petty rule breaking," he said, noticing that I was holding my breath. I sighed in relief. "In fact, I wish to congratulate you on succeeding in making that potion. As I understand, it is very tricky to brew. I know this, because just three days ago I was invited to a ceremony as a certain potioneer was being awarded the Order of Merlin for discovering that potion." I put my head down, not knowing where Dumbledore was going with his speech. "That being said, it is clear that I can no longer ignore the fact that you possess knowledge that not none in this time could ever hope to possess." He lowered his head and a serious expression came to his face. "Our world is becoming restless. Dark magic is becoming commonplace and I fear that it will only get much worse. People have been vanishing, found dead, tortured for information. We have made some headway, stopping attacks here and there, but with your intelligence, we could save more lives, keep the worst from happening." Dumbledore placed his hands one on top of the other gently on his desk and examined my face as I took it all in.

"But that will change everything," I said, trying to wrap my head around what he had just said to me, much like I did the first time I entered his office like this. I thought of all of the things I had heard of about the First Wizarding War, how many innocent people were killed or tortured. I thought about Harry Potter, and how You-Know-Who returned just the year before. Then I thought of my parents and all of the wicked things they did as they carried out his orders. My face started to burn with fury.

"I know this may be hard. But whatever happened in your time, you can help stop it from happening in this time. Make a better life for those who are unborn," Dumbledore said gently.

"But what will happen to me? I may not even be born if I tell you the things that I know," I said, knowing that changing the past can drastically change the future, even if it's not intended.

"You are here, in this time. The child that will be born in your place will be a different person, raised in a different time, molded by a different world." I thought for a moment about this, and then said to myself 'I feel sorry for that kid.' I thought about my previous years at Hogwarts, and how something dark always happened. My first year, my DADA teacher had You-Know-Who attached to the back of his skull, like a parasite too weak to live on its own. My second year, students all over the school became petrified due to a basilisk living in the pipes. My third year, a prisoner escaped from Azkaban. I felt like I just got hit across the face. Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban my third year, a vicious killer, a dangerous man. He was reported dead in the Daily Prophet my fifth year, as they then claimed he was innocent all along. I gasped in near horror. I knew what I had to do to keep Sirius alive.

"I'll tell you everything, Professor," I said, determined to stop all of it from happening. Dumbledore smiled thinly as he popped another sweet into his mouth.

"Thank you, Miss Horsefeather. You're help will do an immense amount of good in this fight. Now, as for your winter holidays, you will be spending them with the Potters. They have sent me an owl this morning saying they would be delighted to keep you this Christmas."

"But sir," I said, confused as to why these people would want me at their house.

"It seems that both James and Sirius have been writing a good deal about you." I began to blush. "Knowing full well your situation, the Potters have insisted you stay with them over Christmas. I suggest you pack your things, as the train from Hogsmeade will leave at three o'clock sharp." I said 'Thank you' and stood up from my chair and headed out of his office, hopeful that this Christmas would be the best in years.

We exited the train at Kings Cross Station. Remus was the first to find his parents, a tall man with a strong face accompanied by a petite, beautiful looking woman, whose face was pallid and wan, but still smiling. He waved at us and disappeared into the sea of people. "Mom! Dad!" James shouted as he darted toward a couple standing a few yards away, peering over the heads in the crowd.

"Oh, sweetheart!" his mother took him into her arms. "It's so good to see you!" She kissed him on both cheeks, and then extended her hug to Sirius. "And Sirius, if I hadn't known any better, I'd say you grew a foot since summer!" Sirius laughed lightly and shook Mr. Potter's hand. Mrs. Potter then turned her eyes to me as I watched their happy reunion. "And you must be Marilyn!" She said with a smile as she took my hands in hers. "Sirius, she's much prettier than you let on in your letters!" Sirius began to blush. She then wrapped her arms around me and brought me into a hug. She smelled like lilacs. "It's so good to meet you, dear." She released me and introduced me to James's father. He looked just like James, except older and with less hair.

"It's very nice to meet you, Marilyn," he said as I shook his hand. "Well, we better get going then! James and Sirius, you'll go with me. Marilyn, you will go with Mrs. Potter." He looked around on all sides, making sure nobody was watching them. "Alright, see you at the house!" He said, and he, Sirius and James vanished with a quick _pop_. Then suddenly, I felt a jerk at my navel and it felt like my body was twisting in all sorts of directions. I couldn't tell which way was up until I could feel the ground beneath my feet once more. Apparating made me quite dizzy.

"Here we are, dear. The Potters' lovely home!" Mrs. Potter said as we strode up a cobblestone walk towards a large villa that was already glowing bright with lights strung around the windows and trees surrounding it. It was a beautiful house. A Christmas tree was visible through one of the giant windows at the front of the house. It looked to be at least ten feet tall, decorated all around with strings of lights and glass baubles of all colors. We walked through the front door and a familiar smell wafted into my nose. It reminded me of Christmas at my grandmothers. "Alright, your room is up the stairs and to the left. Once you're settled we will be having dinner in the dining room," she said. The she rushed into the kitchen and grabbed an apron off of the door.

I walked into the guest room and noticed a large dog sitting on my bed, his ears erect and his tail wagging. I giggled as Sirius jumped up and met me, turning into a human again. He pressed his smile against my lips and ran his hands down my hips. I purred with content as he kissed my cheek and traveled down my neck. I loved the way he touched me.

"Sirius," I whispered, hardly wanting him to stop, He hummed in acknowledgement as he continued to brush his lips across my skin. "We need to go down for dinner." I pushed him gently away, my eyes still half closed. He kissed me and pulled me closer, still smiling.

"I guess I'll just have to have you for dessert then," he said slyly. I just shook my head playfully.

"No, because I smelled pie," I said, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him again. He chuckled and picked me up off the floor in a tight hug. "But I'm sure seconds wouldn't hurt your figure too much." James's mother called up the stairs for us to come down. Sirius smiled and gave me a wink as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. I was eager to taste my first home cooked meal in years, and finally have a Christmas worth remembering.


	16. Chapter 16

"What is so important that you must intrude on my Christmas holiday, Pettigrew?" Severus Snape hissed through a crack in the door as a small boy stood on the door step, bundled up in a scarf and covered in flakes of snow.

"Please, Severus," he said, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. "I have news!"

"And I don't have time to hear about the latest adventures of Potter and his friends," Snape growled as he began to close the door. "Good day, _Wormtail_," he said mockingly.

"It's about the Horsefeather girl!" Peter squeaked frantically. Snape opened the door a little wider, but did not wipe the always upturned, disgusted look from his face. "She's not who she says she is!" Snape's face seemed to creep into a smile, or as much of a smile as he was capable of without looking joyous. It was more of a sinister sneer.

"I'll call for Zephyros. I'm sure he would love to hear about this news," Snape said menacingly, a poisonous grin on his face.

The sun peeked over the hills, glistening through flecks of falling snow, and rested across the floor and on my bed, warming my face as I stirred. The smell of cinnamon and cocoa wafted through the air, reminding me that it was Christmas morning. I sprang out of bed and barreled down the stairs, not unlike a small child, eager to rip open his presents that sat beneath the tree. In my wake, I almost ran over a small woman, carrying a warm cup of tea in her hands.

"Oh, you're up!" Mrs. Potter said gleefully. "I was just about to come and wake you. There's tea and hot cocoa in the kitchen, dear. I haven't gotten breakfast started, so I hope you're not too hungry." She patted my shoulder lovingly and scurried into the kitchen. The giant Christmas tree was sparkling with thousands of tiny lights, and what seemed like hundreds of presents were crammed beneath its bottom branches, spilling into the rest of the living room. James and Sirius hobbled out of the kitchen, warming their hands on cups of hot cocoa. Sirius beamed at me as he pointed to the mountain of presents.

"Santa Claus came!" He said with a wide smile as he came over to me and gave me a good morning kiss.

"I wonder who told him you were here, Marilyn," James said playfully, eyeing the assortment of wrapped gifts. "Sirius and I already took a peek at them."

"You've got more than I do!" Sirius said, playing like a little kid who was jealous.

"Well, Sirius," I said with a smirk on my face, "we all know you're on the naughty list. I won't be surprised if most of your presents are filled with coal!" Sirius gave me a devilish wink as we all sat down around the tree, Mr. Potter now building a roaring fire.

"Alright, you lot. Are you ready to open presents?" Mrs. Potter said as she exited the kitchen. She took a seat in a fully arm chair as Mr. Potter hobbled over to the tree and began passing out presents. It was true that my pile was a bit larger than Sirius's, but it was no secret that James had the majority of the presents under the tree. I began to sort through my gifts, wondering which one took precedent in unwrapping first.

"Oh," Sirius said, as if just remembering something. "Open this one first. And don't shake it!" He picked up a medium sized box, wrapped in paper covered in broomsticks and snitches. It was quite light, and I could feel something moving around in the box.

My eyes widened. "Sirius, you didn't!" I said as I ripped the paper off quickly and gently opened the box. A tiny black kitten with electric blue eyes stared up at me, her whiskers a bit askew from romping around in the box. "She's so sweet!" She was small enough to sit in my hand, and she purred as I scratched behind her little pointed ears. I placed the kitten in my lap and hugged Sirius around the neck.

"I thought it would be nice to have a little furry thing around," he said as he scratched her head. "She can keep you company whenever I get detention again." I started to laugh as the kitten curled up into a little ball in my lap. Within half an hour, the floor was covered in colorful paper and bows. I had received from Sirius a tin of toffees and chocolates, a book about magical creatures in the Western Hemisphere, and a pink collar covered in jewels for the kitten. James had given me a sneakoscope and a remembrall. From the Potters, I received bottles of different colored ink (one which changed colors, depending on your mood) as well as a giant peacock feather quill. Professor McGonagall gave me a broomstick servicing kit, which included handle polish, twig clippers and a brass compass. The last gift I opened was from Dumbledore. The note that came with it said, 'I trust you will use this for reasons other than mischief. You will find it serve you well in the times ahead.' I picked up a large, light weight garment out of the box, the fine threads nearly glittering in the firelight. James and Sirius both gasped.

"I've got one of those!" James said excitedly, feeling the fabric and letting it run through his hands.

"That's an invisibility cloak!" Said Sirius as he eyeballed the note from Dumbledore. "What do you reckon he means in this note?" I snatched the note quickly from his grip and shrugged, not wanting to tell him about the talk Dumbledore and I had had in his office earlier that month. The little black kitten was now playing with a bright red ribbon on the floor, tangling itself up and twisting around on its back happily as it mewed. I began to wonder if what I had agreed to Dumbledore would be dangerous. I had really not given it much thought aside from wanting to save Sirius's life when the time came. What exactly had I gotten myself into?

"Breakfast is ready!" Mrs. Potter called from the kitchen as she began to set the table with Christmas plates and red and green napkins.

"What do you mean 'she's from the future?'?" Zephyros hissed at Peter, making him jump back in a shudder. He began to shake.

"I'm just saying what I heard. That's why she hasn't been around, and why you've never heard of her. She hasn't really been training dragons," Peter said quickly, as if he was trying to get all of his words out before somebody smacked him across the face.

"I knew that story of hers sounded a bit off," Zephyros said, looking into the corner as if he was pondering over something. "Where is she now?"

"She is spending the holidays at the Potters'," Said Severus with a scowl. Zephyros massaged his hands together.

"I bet she knows many things," Zephyros said quietly, plotting in his head. "She could be a serious threat to the Dark Lord. We must find her at once and—" Snape held up his hand to quiet him.

"Or she could be a great asset," he said calmly. "There is no sense in trying to retrieve her now. Let her enjoy her last few days in ignorant bliss. We will intercept her at the opportune moment." Snape's voice was icy and cold as the winter's day, his emotion as hard as the icicles that formed outside, hanging in front of the windows as if they were trying to listen in on the conversation. He and Zephyros stared at each other for a moment in agreeance. Then Zephyros adjusted his traveling cloak and opened the front door to leave, letting in the cold, blustery air. "You mustn't, however," Snape called after him as he stopped in the doorway, "tell anyone about this. Not even Elektra. We must keep this quiet until the right moment. That means you as well, Wormtail," he said condescendingly as Peter slinked into the corner cowering. Zephyros gave a small nod over his shoulder and exited the quiet house into the blistery morning.


	17. Chapter 17

We sat on the lawn, bundled up in sweaters and scarves under the starry New Year's sky. Mr. Potter had procured a good lot of fireworks from a shop in Diagon Alley, and planned to treat us to a night of colorful flashes of light. He lit his wand and hundreds of small bursts of light traveled into the sky, erupting with large bangs. Halos of green and red and orange blanketed the sky with light, almost masking the fact that it was night time. Sirius wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in close to him, pressing his face into my bushy, untamed hair. His lips grazed my ear and a surge went through me like an electric current. He whispered something in my ear, but I could not hear him over the bangs from above. I mouthed 'what? 'but he just shook his head and mouthed back 'I love you.' I smiled and leaned into him, now watching what looked like a scene of two wizards dueling, outlined by different colors of sparkling beams of light.

It was nearly midnight when all of the fireworks had been exhausted. We headed back into the house, our noses pink from the nip in the air. We all bid each other goodnight and headed to our separate rooms. I had just finished getting dressed into my night clothes when my door creaked softly. I turned to see a starry-eyed Sirius tiptoeing into the room. I had started to speak when he put his finger up to his lips, gesturing me to stay silent. He walked over to me and grabbed my aggressively by the waist, pulling me into him. But then his gripped softened and he ran his hands up my back, and pressed his lips tenderly against mine. He reached back and shut the door with a furtive _clunk_. I had never wanted him as badly as I had in that moment. It felt like no matter how closely we were pressed against each other, there was still too much space between our bodies. I rolled my fingers up his face and through his hair, stroking each lock as it passed through my fingers. His scent was that of a love potion, sandalwood and evergreen mixed with a hint of vanilla. I breathed him in slowly, longingly, as time seemed to slow down and suspend us in this intimate moment. With his lips still locked with mine and our fingers now intertwined, he nudged me backward and I felt my body collapse onto the bed. He looked up at me and smiled, the light in his eyes reflecting me smiling back at him. The house was entirely still and soundless and snow was now sticking to the window pane as I gave myself completely to Sirius Black.

The winter holidays were drawing to a close as we all had our trunks packed and hauled them onto the platform. I had my kitten (which I named Lux) snuggled in the crook of my arm, her pink collar glinting light onto the stony floor as it reflected off of her many jewels. Her electric blue eyes were wide as she tried to take in all the excitement of people bustling around the train station. We bid the Potters' goodbye and I thanked them for their hospitality before we boarded the platform to embark back to Hogwarts.

On the train, we sat in a compartment near the end of the narrow hallway, and stuffed our luggage above our heads. The train lurched forward and began to chug toward the countryside. Lux jumped from my lap and began to wander around the cabin, stumbling as the train rocked from side to side. She took to a small ball of dust under James's feet and pounced happily, sometimes getting her tiny claws caught on his pants leg or his shoelace. We chuckled at her playfulness as we ate the remaining sweets left over from Christmas. Then the train went completely hushed, as if someone had blanketed it with a silencing spell. We looked around at each other as Lux jumped clumsily into Sirius's lap, her hair standing up on her back and her eyes wide with fear.

Thick black smoke filled the hallway and the door slammed open, allowing the smoke to fill the compartment. I could not see anything through the black screen, and it began to fill my lungs as I heard screams echoing down the hall of the train. Then the screaming came closer. Then it sounded like it was coming from the compartment to the side of us. I heard footsteps approaching where we were. I felt Sirius's hand shoot into mine, squeezing it tight. My heart was pounding. I could hear breathing coming from the doorway, then an eerie chuckle as a large hand gripped my arm and wrenched me out of my seat, pulling me away from Sirius. I could hear him yelling my name, commotion was coming from all sides of me as I tried to wriggle away from my captor, but then I felt a jerk behind my navel and my head felt like it was upside down as my stomach rose into my throat.

I did not land gracefully as I had done the last time I apparated. Instead, it felt like I was shoved to the ground, my face hammering a hard, dusty wooden floor. I looked up to see where I was. I was surrounded by tall figures in black cloaks. The room was large with high ceilings, and a chandelier hung above a long table, spider webs draping it like garlands. The man closest to me lowered his hood, revealing a slender pointed face and black hair that was slicked back. His mouth twisted into a distorted smile as he peered down at me.

"Hello, dear cousin," he said as he strolled closer.

"Zephyros," I said through clenched teeth. I reached for my wand, but my pockets were empty. He gave a sinister chuckle as he crouched down beside me.

"Looking for this?" he said as he waved my wand in front of my face. "You don't have the upper hand this time. Instead, you'll be getting what you deserve." His eyes burned with fury as he stuffed my wand out of sight in his robes and raised his own wand at me.

"Not now, Zephyros!" called another cloaked man, seizing Zephyros's arm. "She needs to talk before you can have your spoils with her." He grinned as he lowered his hood as well. Severus Snape released his arm and grinned at me.

"Where am I?" I barked at them, heat rising up from my face. I began to stand up when a sharp toe struck me in the ribs.

"You'll see soon enough," Zephyros smirked. He then gestured to one of the other hooded people in the room. "Tell him we're ready. We've got her." The figure nodded and glided from the room. He put his face inches from mine and hissed into my ear. "You never should have come here."

"You brought me here!" I said wildly, my teeth still clenched. He shook his head.

"You know what I mean," he said viciously. My eyes widened. He knew my secret. He chuckled darkly. "Oh, yes. I know all about you, Miss Time Travel. Personally," he said as he rolled his wand between his thin, pale fingers, "I think you're a pest. I wanted to _exterminate_ you. However, Snape thinks differently. He'd rather draw out your misery. Make you beg for death after we extract every inch of sanity left in that traitorous little head of yours." He dug the tip of his wand into my temple threateningly as he stared crazily into my eyes as they began to fill with tears.

"That's enough, Zephyros," a chilling voice said as it strode across the room. "Now, would you please introduce me to our _honored _guest?" Zephyros yanked me to my feet and shoved my head forward, forcing me to look at the man now standing in front of me. He looked barely human. His skin looked paper thin and his eyes were only piercing slits. My heart nearly stopped as I looked Lord Voldemort straight in the face. He held his wand loosely in his hand and gestured me to come forward. Zephyros shoved me as Voldemort held out a shriveled, grey hand, intending me to shake it. I stood frozen in the middle of the floor, trembling. A voice then manifested inside my head. _Shake my hand. Go on. SHAKE IT._ I thrust myself forward and grabbed the cold, dry hand he extended to me. "Very good," he said, bearing his nearly pointed teeth at me. "Now tell me your name."

"Marilyn," I spat out quickly. "Horsefeather." Voldemort looked pleasantly surprised as he swept his gaze toward Zephyros.

"Any relation to this young man over here?" I did not say a word. My mouthed quivered as the hairs on my arms stood up. Zephyros's expression was emotionless. "I asked you a question," he said, a little more forcefully this time. I nodded slowly.

"Cousins," I said meekly, my eyes shifting. Voldemort paused for a moment, then my mind began to race. I saw the headline in the _Daily Prophet_ revealing my father's portrait as he stood in the striped clothes given to the prisoners who inhabit Azkaban, then I saw his face from across the Great Hall sneering at me, and Sirius's hand jerking me away from it, then I relived our duel on the staircase. I jerked back to the cold, dusty room. Voldemort's mouth was distorted in what almost looked like a smile.

"You lied," he said, shooting another glance at Zephyros. "This is not your cousin! This is your daughter!" Zephyros's face changed suddenly. I could not tell whether it was a look of discomfort of disgust. "My, my, my," he continued as he brushed my hair away from my face. "What a happy reunion!" his voice became crazed. Then he came closer to whisper in my ear. "I know how you feel. I hated my father as well. The filthy muggle. I killed the bastard in his sleep," he hissed. He stepped away from me and examined my face. "I understand," he said, his tone a bit softer, "that you may be of certain importance to me. Being from the future and all, you know things that even I, the greatest wizard of all time, could not know." My face burned with fury.

"Dumbledore is the greatest—"

"Silence!" His voice boomed throughout the whole room, shaking the chandelier and making the cloaked people standing around take a few steps back as they cowered. "You will tell me what you know, or I will do it myself." I clenched my teeth as I glared up at him. He raised his wand and I felt my mind racing again. I saw Cedric Diggory's body lying on the ground during the Triwizard Tournament. I saw bloody letters on the wall saying the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. I saw Harry Potter's face on the front page of the Daily Prophet. 'Don't let him see that,' I said to myself. 'Don't let him see Harry.' A scene of a full moon flashed and I saw a werewolf shaking someone's hand by a large tree. I was walking by the lake with somebody, their arms around me. I was flying on a broomstick with a large ball in my grasp. I was sitting in an office with small glass objects hovering around me. I was jerked back again by a frustrated yell. "You will let me see!" He shouted in fury. "Crucio!" Pain shot through my entire body, as if I was being thrust through a meat grinder and my bones were being split apart. I writhed on the ground, my body contorting and twisting in agony. I yelled for it to stop, and just like that, the pain lifted. I gasped for air as I heard people yelling and running around on all sides. I opened my eyes and saw hooded figures begin to disapparate out of the room, and Voldemort was hurling flashes of red light at someone. I looked up and saw a tall, white haired wizard with his back to me, flinging spells across the room at Voldemort. I saw Zephyros standing frozen to the floor, his eyes glazed over in shock. I crawled over to where he stood frozen and reached into his robes, retrieving my wand. I darted behind Dumbledore and grabbed the back of his bright purple robes. I pointed my wand over his shoulder and waited for a gap and shouted "Protego Horribilis!" A thick blue shield conjured itself between us and Voldemort, knocking him backward as his spells ricocheted off. Then with a jerk behind my navel, Dumbledore and I apparated out of the dusty, dark room and landed in a bright office, a large red bird squacking as we arrived with a small _pop_.


	18. Chapter 18

I stood there for a moment in the middle of Dumbledore's office, still terrified of what had just happened. I felt very nauseous, but swallowed hard, not wanting to vomit all over Dumbledore's spotless floor at the thought of being face to face with The Dark Lord himself. Dumbledore paced around the room, a frantic look in his eyes. He was trying to wrap his mind around the situation just as I was.

"Sir," I said very mildly, still shaking and glued to one spot. He shot a look at me. "Thank you for saving me." Dumbledore's craze seemed to lessen and his rigidness softened as he glided over to me. He wrapped his long, aged fingers around my arm gently and half-smiled.

"That must have been a horrifying experience for you, Marilyn," he said. His touch calmed me, as I was reminded of the comforting that I used to get from my grandmother. Tears began to well up in my eyes. I tried to pull them back, so not to look weak in front of this man. "You were very brave tonight, braver than most would have been in your position." I quickly wiped a falling tear from my cheek. "But I must ask you," Dumbledore said, his tone much more serious and firm, "did you let him see anything? Anything that could give him an advantage?" I shook my head, remembering the things that I had unwillingly divulged to Voldemort.

"I did not show him much that mattered. I kept him from seeing Harry Potter." Dumbledore's eyes widened.

"Harry Potter?" He said curiously. I opened my mouth to explain when he held up a hand to silence me. He strolled around his desk and then extended a hand to stroke Fawkes's feathered head. "Lord Voldemort is a very gifted Legilimens. Learning Occlumency would benefit you greatly, although, it sounds to me that your sheer will sufficed in stopping him tonight." Fawkes cooed as Dumbledore ran his hand over his back. "I want you to go have some dinner and see your friends. They are all very worried," he said. "However, I want you to come back after you're settled. It is apparent that now is as good a time as any for us to talk about your knowledge." He then kindly shooed me away and I hurriedly left his office and nearly stumbled down the spiraling staircase.

The entire way to the Great Hall, I could not help glancing over my shoulder constantly, making sure nobody was hiding around corners or behind statues. I was not about to get snatched away again. The corridors were completely empty, as everyone, including the ghosts, was probably still enjoying their first evening of the New Year, safe at Hogwarts. When I entered the Great Hall, there were a lot of hushed murmurs filling the room, scared and curious mumbles about what had happened earlier on the train. I saw Sirius, James and Remus at the far end of the table. Sirius's face was drained of color as he cradled his head in his hands. I noticed that James had a small, black ball of fuzz cupped in his palms. I hurried over to them and grabbed Sirius in a hug as I sat down. He wrapped his arms around me and sighed so heavily, it sounded almost like a sob. He breathed deeply in my ear as he squeezed me tighter.

"I was so scared. I had no idea what happened. I didn't know if I'd ever," he stopped speaking abruptly, as if his throat was closing around his words, and he was trying to stifle a cry. I rubbed my hand soothingly on his back.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I said gently. "I'm here. I'm safe." His embrace loosened as he released me. His eyes were red and he was shaking with worry. I took his hands in mine and kissed them gently, trying to calm him. He smiled at me and brushed my hair to the side. James and Remus waited patiently for their turns to speak.

"So what did I miss?" I said, trying to sound lighthearted so not to weight down the evening meal with the heaviness of me being kidnapped. James and Remus looked at each other, wondering whether or not the train ride was a safe topic to discuss. "What happened on the train?" I said, a little more forcefully.

"Well, I was on prefect duty when it happened. I didn't see much. There were a few people in black hoods who were walking down the hall, looking into compartments. But then one of them hexed me and knocked me out," Remus said as he pushed his food around his plate with a fork. "Once someone had revived me, there were people scurrying around and smoke was everywhere. Nobody knew what was going on."

"Then once it got out that they had taken you," James began, "the news spread like wildfire." He scanned his eyes around the whole room and I noticed that everyone in the Great Hall was staring and whispering to each other, no doubt conversing about what the reason was for my abduction. "I know it doesn't seem like it now with everybody cowering and such, but everyone was genuinely concerned for you. This whole war is getting more and more dangerous. You-Know-Who's operations are no longer underground. It's all happening right before our eyes. " They all looked down, as if by mentioning it they would all be struck down.

"It's only going to get worse," I said as I was still looking around the room at all the people gawking at me. I knew it was not to be rude. They were all just scared. We had been spending the last five and half years sitting in a class room, learning how to make things float in the air and change animals into water goblets. Everything we learned to 'protect ourselves' we practiced in a hypothetical setting. Nothing was going to actually harm us inside the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom. But what was going on outside the stone walls of the castle was real, and nothing would have been able to prepare any of us for what was lurking out there, ready to attack any minute. I realized that my fourth year, after seeing the lifeless body of Cedric Diggory, but these students had not yet had that realization.

After having a bit to eat and a mostly silent evening, I gave Sirius a kiss and stood up from the table. He grabbed my hand quickly.

"I have to go see Dumbledore," I said, knowing that he would not except any excuse for me leaving. "It's very important." Sirius squeezed my hand.

"Then I'll walk you." He stood up, nodded to Remus and James and we hurried out of the Great Hall and toward the Headmaster's office.

"Zephyros and Snape were the ones who took me," I said quite harshly, trying to break the thick silence in the air. Sirius took a sharp breath.

"I was wondering how those Death Eaters got on the train. I've always known those two were bad news." He passed for a moment. "They didn't hurt you, did they?" I shook my head.

"Zephyros wanted to," I said with a scoff. "But no, they weren't the ones who hurt me." Sirius looked concerned. "It was Voldemort." Suddenly his face which showed fury and hatred suddenly changed to that of panic and distress. He swallowed hard as I felt his hand become sweaty.

"This must be really serious," he said slowly, trying to conceive the entirety of the current situation. We reached the gargoyle that hid the spiral staircase.

"It is serious. That is why I'm helping Dumbledore, so that more things like this don't happen. It will be okay. Pepper imp," I said, and the gargoyle began to move aside, revealing the staircase leading up to Dumbledore's office.

"I'll wait for you," Sirius said with a stern look, and I headed up the staircase.

"Ah, Miss Horsefeather," Dumbledore said as if my arrival had been a surprise. He waved his wand and conjured a fluffy red arm chair in front of his desk. "Please sit." I sank down into the chair as it nearly swallowed me. The portraits on the wall were all snoring loudly and mumbling in their frames, pretending to be asleep. "Before we begin, I would like to discuss how Lord Voldemort discovered your secret. Who have you told about this?" I began to rack my brain. I had only told three people personally.

"I've told Sirius and James, and Remus knows too," I said as I gazed at Dumbledore, his expression hard in concentration.

"The most trustworthy of people, if I say so myself. Are you sure there was nobody else?" I tried to go through every hour since my arrival in this new time. I had hardly made any friends besides those three. "What about that other boy that hangs out with them. Peter Pettigrew?" My eyes got wide as I remembered the night in the Shrieking Shack. Sirius had let it slip to him that I was from the future. It had made no difference to me then, but it made all the difference in the world now.

"He knows too. It was him. It had to be." My heart started pounding. I had never been very close to Peter, but I considered him my friend, nonetheless. I had never imagined someone as meek and quiet as he was to betray someone so terribly, to nearly have someone killed at the hands of the darkest wizard of all time. Dumbledore pursed his lips as he sat back in his chair.

"That would explain why he did not return to the castle," he said as he laced his fingers together. "No doubt they kept him as insurance, in case he was wrong. But, I suppose, he is theirs now." He paused for a moment, the sound of Fawkes cooing as he napped with his head under his wing. "Well, on to the next thing then," he said, and gestured me to begin talking.

"Where do I begin, sir?" I questioned. There were so many things that were going to happen in the next twenty years that I couldn't decide which held precedent.

"I suggest you start at the beginning. What will Voldemort do tomorrow?"

I told him everything I could remember about You-Know-Who's first rise to power: all the countless invasions of the Ministry, the mass muggle killings all over Britain, the recruitment of Death Eaters and giant and trolls. I had made an Outstanding in my History of Magic O.W.L. and this was the one time I was most grateful for reading the textbook so thoroughly. I remembered names of Death Eaters and dates and places of all the events and Dumbledore wrote them down. With any luck, those pages from my history book I was reciting would not have to be written. After what seemed like hours, my eyes were becoming heavy with sleep, and even Dumbledore stifled a yawn.

"I think we have enough for tonight. I will notify the right people and hopefully we will be able to stop these things from happening. You may go, Miss Horsefeather." I stood up, having a bit of difficulty because I was sunk so low in the cushion of the chair, but before I headed out, I made to ask Dumbledore one last question before retiring.

"How did you find me tonight, Professor?" I asked curiously, wondering how he had come to my aid so quickly. He gave me a half smile.

"Your friend James cast a Patronus," he said as he stood up and stretched his arms. "They are not only useful in getting rid of dementors. They can also be used to relay messages. I was here in my office with a giant glowing stag appeared in front of me, and told me you had been taken from the train. From a previous source, I knew your probable location and traveled their immediately. Had it not been for him, I fear the outcome of that situation would have been much worse."

Sirius was lying on the floor at the bottom of the staircase, his eyes resting shut. He jumped up as soon as the staircase began to move. We hurried back to Gryffindor tower and crawled through the portrait hole. James and Remus were sitting by the fire, awaiting our return. Without letting them get a word out, I wrapped my arms around James's neck. "You saved me," I said softly. "You're an extraordinary wizard, James Potter." We sat by the fire for a while, relaxing in each other's company, until one by one, we grew quiet and tired and we headed up to our warm beds seeking a much needed slumber.


	19. Chapter 19

I was lying on a cold, dirty floor, paralyzed. I shifted my eyes back and forth, trying to see where I was. The room was chilly and cast in shadow, and I could feel that my face was damp from tears. My chest felt constricted as I struggled to get air into my lungs, the heavy air weighing down on me, choking me. I heard a loud crack coming from somewhere behind me, it echoed around the room as if bouncing off the walls of a cave. I begged my body to move, but it was as if I was bound by millions of thick ropes that squeezed me like a snake. I then heard footsteps moving slowly across the floor toward me, a certain smugness in the stride. More tears ran down my cheeks as I realized I could not get away. The footsteps stopped right beside me, and I could feel a small waft from the person's robes. Then he leaned down and breathed in my ear with a wicked hiss. "You cannot hide from me, girl. I know everything about you. Your thoughts and your fears." His breath was hot on my neck as I saw small eyes glowing from across the room. They slithered nearer across the dirty floor, baring their enormous fangs. My heart raced as they shifted into thousands spiders, scurrying around my body and clicking their pincers in hunger. Hot tears boiled inside my eyelids as I tried to keep them tightly shut. Then the spiders piled together and formed the shape of a body. Shaggy black hair was matted in blood, and two lack luster brown eyes stared lifeless into mine. I wanted to scream as Sirius lay dead in front of me, but my voice would not pass my lips. The man behind me stood up as he gave a malicious chuckle, and strolled toward Sirius's body, giving it a nudge with his foot. "Oh, now look what you've done. You've killed this young man," he said, his face hidden behind a large hood. "Well, actually I killed him. But he did because of you. He didn't stand a chance!" A craze seemed to enter his words. "You should have seen him, begging me to spare his life. By the time I was finished with him, however, he practically begged for death. Naturally, being the accommodating person I am, I honored his last request. Pity, he would have been a nice addition to my following." He kicked him again as he came closer to me. He lowered his hood and a pair of red eyes pierced through me, as a searing pain shot through my body. Inside, I was writing in pain, but I still lay motionless on the floor. "I will know what you know. And after I do, I will kill each person whom you hold most dear, and then I will kill you. It will be slow, and painful, and very satisfying." He smiled at me with malicious content, with teeth as sharp as daggers. He laughed maniacally as the pain continued to singe across my body, as if I was being doused in acid.

"Marilyn!" A female voice resonated through the air as the man continued to cackle. It was sweet and soothing as it rested on my ears. He seemed oblivious to it as he taunted me hysterically. The voice came again, louder this time, drowning out the crazed laughter as the room faded around me. "Marilyn, wake up!" My body jerked forward and I was met with a concerned Lily, red hair framing her troubled face. The bed sheets were wrapped around me awkwardly and the other girls sat up in their beds, peeking warily to see if I was still in a craze. I struggled to untangle myself and felt my body soaked with sweat.

"I think I was having a dream," I said, feeling like it was almost too real to have happened inside my head.

Lily smiled sleepily at me. "And a nasty one, at that. Here, take a drink." She grabbed a small glass from her bedside table and pointed her wand at it, filling it up with water. I pressed the glass to me lips and gulped it down, not realizing how thirsty I was.

"What time is it?" I asked, my heart beginning to slow down to a normal pace.

"About two in the morning. I tried waking you for ages," she said as she draped the covers over her. After seeing that there was nothing more exciting going on, the other girls did the same, and pulled the curtains closed around their beds. "Well, goodnight then." She turned over on her side and, within minutes, was breathing slowly with sleep. I lay awake for a while, studying the grooves and patterns of the domed ceiling, making shapes and faces out of the cracks. My eyelids grew heavy, but I was too afraid to let myself fall asleep again, for fear that those red eyes would meet me again. Deep sighs filled the room as they all slept peacefully, unburdened by visions of death and suffering, their slumbers untainted by the evil that lurked right outside the castle. My mind began to wander away from the ceiling as I thought about Sirius and quidditch and Animagus lessons. 'Maybe I'll be a dragon. I'd like to see him try to hurt a dragon.' I smirked as I imagined a large, green dragon with spikes across his back breathing fire, setting Voldemort's robes ablaze, and with that thought, I drifted back to a dreamless sleep.

The week's lessons went by in a blur. I had no interest in sleeping draughts and repelling vampires, or conjuration and turning vinegar into wine. I watched the snowflakes fall as the wind blustered, sending them zooming by the window. I wanted so badly to be outside, bundled up in coats and scarves, walking along the lake frozen over like glass, the cold air biting my face. Every now and then, Sirius would elbow me, jerking me back to reality to listen to the monotonous lecture inside the stale, boring class room.

"Are you going to see Dumbledore tonight?" Sirius asked as we left Defense Against the Dark Arts, our last class, on Friday afternoon. He laced his fingers with mine as he walked closely to me.

"I'm supposed to go see him right now, actually," I sighed, wanting nothing more but to spend my time snuggled up by Sirius in front of the fire. He squeezed my hand tightly.

"Well, let's go then." He said as we headed across the castle to the Headmaster's office. We approached the gargoyle, and before I could mutter the password, it began to move revealing the spiraling staircase as Dumbledore came walking down the steps.

"Oh, there you are," he said, with a hint of surprise in his voice as if he just remembered he was expecting me. "I was just about to go sneak some ice cream from the kitchen, but that can wait. Mister Black, I would like you to join in on our conversation today. Better than you sitting at the bottom of my staircase, plotting more imminent mischief." Dumbledore's eye twinkled as he gestured Sirius to come up to his office. We stepped into the large room, the paintings on the wall yammering to each other from their frames, then quickly hushing as Dumbledore strolled behind his desk. He waved his wand and a fluffy red loveseat appeared in the middle of the floor. Sirius and I sat, sinking down into the cushion and pressed up against each other.

"Well, Marilyn," he began, clasping his hands together, "last night, a death eater by the name of Nott was apprehended at the Ministry. A few others that were with him Disapparated quickly, but he is now in Azkaban awaiting trial. All thanks to you, a few innocent lives were saved." I breathed a sigh of relief. I had doubts that my information would be of help, but now that people were being arrested before any real harm was done, I was feeling more satisfied with the help I was giving. "Before we continue with your information however, I have a couple of things I wish to discuss with the both of you. A Hogsmeade weekend will be coming up in a few weeks, and I implore you both to stay at Hogwarts." I heard Sirius breathe heavily, exasperated but not willing to argue. "I understand how you feel, and I am deeply sorry, but it simply is not safe for you, Marilyn, to be outside the castle. And Sirius, I need you to protect her." I scoffed with disbelief.

"Excuse me, sir, but I can protect myself. I can hold my own—" Dumbledore held up a hand to silence me.

"I do not doubt your abilities. I simply would be more comfortable if you had more than just your won wand keeping you from harm." I sat back in the chair, my arms crossed in frustration. Sirius put his hand on my knee. "Next, I would like you to continue your lessons."

"I've been practicing the Occlumency, Professor," I said, remembering the past few nights spent in this office, trying to block my thoughts as Dumbledore penetrated my mind.

"I don't mean Occlumency. I mean your Animagus lessons." Sirius's and my eyes widened. How did he know everything that was going on inside the castle? He gave a small chuckle. "You are not in any trouble. I find that it will come in handy in the days ahead of us." Sirius looked down at his lap, trying to hide a smile as he wrapped his fingers around my knee and squeezed. "Now, I would like to know more about this Harry Potter." I looked over at Sirius as he met my eyes.

"You can't tell James. Promise me you won't say a word," I said to him softly. His eyes glimmered, but he did not reply to me, as if he was debating whether or not to agree. "This is serious! Promise me you won't say anything to him about this!" Sirius nodded reluctantly, and I turned back to Dumbledore as Sirius sunk deeper into the chair. "Harry is James's son." My mind raced, trying to figure out the easiest way to tell the story. "Voldemort killed his parents when he was just a baby, and then tried to kill him too, but it backfired on him." Sirius gave a small yelp as I said this. His face became tense as he imagined his best friend being slaughtered. I grabbed his hand and continued. "Voldemort returned while we were at Hogwarts, but Harry got away from him every time. I think he's the one who has to defeat him, in the end." Dumbledore was quiet for a moment. Then he stood up and walked toward Sirius, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Let's hope that we can keep all of that from happening," he said quietly. Sirius nodded as he stared straight ahead. "I want you two to go have some dinner, then have a nice evening. I think that is enough for right now." Sirius stood up quickly and sped out the door. I followed quickly behind him. As we exited the staircase and entered into the corridor, he put his face in his hands.

"My best friend is going to die?" He said loudly and upset. "My best friend!" His face was distorted with fear and rage. I put my hands around the back of his neck and looked him in the eyes.

"We can stop him, Sirius. We can stop him from killing a lot of innocent people. We have the advantage right now. You heard what Dumbledore said about that Death Eater being arrested. That's because I told him when and where they were going to be! We will save James. I promise." I saw Sirius's eyes glass over as I pulled him into a hug.

"I won't lose him." He said wetly as he pressed his face into my hair. I rubbed my hand on his back as determination welled up inside me. I was sent to this time for a bigger reason that just changing my identity. I was sent here to change the course of time, and I planned on changing it for the better.

"Are you hungry?" I asked softly as he pulled away from me. He shook his head and grabbed my hand tightly and forcefully.

"No. We've got work to do right now." He said as he pulled me down the corridor toward the staircases and up toward the seventh floor corridor where the Room of Requirement waited for us with baited breath.


End file.
